I stumbled upon Besieged on TV. The film's views of Rome brought back my homesickness. It's funny how, to me, Lazio's natural summer light reminded me a bit of a similar luminescence in next-door France. Lazio is the region in central Italy where Rome is located. I found the film and its premise intriguing even though one might do well to doubt that the dynamics in Besieged reflect what usually takes place between many women refugees and local men in countries of refuge. Yet this film does shed light on two people in a situation where marginalised Blacks such as refugees (including in Europe) are largely ignored and actively rendered transparent or totally invisible in all forms of media. The African refugee housekeeper role is a good one for actress Thandie Newton, who actually is African and European, and not Black American as some roles she's taken. Interesting that Newton's character in Besieged is a refugee and a student. Perhaps a metaphor for the difficult present and brighter future, and maybe even a future that's relatively secure. In Italy and elsewhere in Europe daily life for African refugees is quite difficult. So I wonder exactly how many refugees and Black women refugees in Rome, in Europe and elsewhere actually are able and allowed to do academic studies in their country of refuge. Few to none, I suspect. On another note, isn't David Thewlis physically miscast? Sorry. In the film he portrays an expat Brit pianist living in Rome, and in whose home Newton's character works. But there's just something about the actor that makes him less than credible as a man whom some women might see as attractive. Is Thewlis trying to project a more "macho" stance for his character? That perception may be wrong but it feels that way to me. I also find Thewlis's overbite... distracting. Back to the interpersonal. In one scene Newton's character goes dancing with a male friend. It's a bit amusing to wonder how that scene might look and feel if Thewlis's character as portrayed would have gone out with the same friend. Even platonically. De toutes facons I am proud of this Bernardo Bertolucci film and the fact it's an Italian production. Despite the "woman's man" 'believability' problem for Thewlis and his character, I intend to see Besieged at least once again.
Review of Besieged
