David Fincher Rilancia Il Film D'autore Con Mank

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David Fincher Rilancia Il Film D'autore Con Mank David Fincher Rilancia Il Film D’autore Con Mank: Una limitata distribuzione negli States, ed un’unica uscita su Netflix in Italia non riescono a limitare lo strabordante valore cinematografico di questo film 08/04/2021 David Fincher: basta dire Fight Club, Seven e Social Network per avere subito presente la magistrale padronanza della settimana arte di uno dei più grandi registi contemporanei. Questa volta si cimenta con un genere che potrebbe definire anche come storico. Fa subito una scelta visiva forte: il bianco e nero. Al centro del narrato cinematografico c’è la vita di Herman Mankiewicz, e della stesura da parte di questo della sceneggiatura di Citizen Kane, pietra miliare della cinematografia mondiale, noto in Italia come Quarto Potere. Assistiamo oggi in diretta alla conferenza stampa organizzata da AIDAC, Associazione Italiana Dialoghisti Adattatori Cinetelevisivi, per un confronto sulla pellicola dal punto di vista della sceneggiatura e dell’adattamento dei dialoghi. Intervengono: Ruggero Busetti, adattatore dialoghista, Lara D'Appollonio, critica cinematografica e Mary Pellegatta, adattatrice dialoghista. La D’Appollonio ci presenta subito Mank, come una pellicola che potrebbe sembrare di primo impatto un metafilm, ma che in realtà è va interpretato come una metasceneggiatura. Mankiewicz viene presentato come un intellettuale, squattrinato scrittore newyorkese che accetta di scrivere questo film solo per motivi economici, e che si ritrova alla prese con un Orson Welles, di appena ventun anni e con pieno potere decisionale sul film. Welles costringerà lo sceneggiatore all’isolamento ed, in seguito, gli rinfaccerà che Citizen Kane è stato il suo film migliore proprio grazie alla lontananza dall’alcol e dalla famiglia. Il personaggio del magnate Kane è ispirato alla grande figura di Hearst. Un posto primario riveste anche Marion Davies, compagna di Kane, attrice la cui fama è dovuta non alle capacità artistiche, ma proprio alla sua controversa relazione con il magnate dell’editoria. Con il suo intervento, Ruggero Busetti, uno dei noti ed apprezzati dialoghisti italiani, così descrive la singolarità ed il particolare impegno richiesto dall’adattamento di una pellicola così pregna di riferimenti storici e culturali: «Ho preparato un file Word con tutti i riferimenti storici per ogni battuta: una cosa che non avevo mai fatto. E si è reso necessario proprio per la complessità e la numerosità delle battute, piene di riferimenti ai personaggi reali e al contesto di quella specifica società del tempo. È la storia della stesura di Quarto Potere, ma anche la storia di come all’epoca si creava il cinema, e anche della politica, (le elezioni per il Governatore della California che c’erano al tempo della stesura). Erano passati solo 10 anni dalla crisi del ’29 ed i postumi si respiravano ancora nell’aria». Lara D'Appollonio ha sottolineato più volte, come ogni scena fosse carica di riferimenti metacinematografici: anche l’unica battuta di Charlie Chaplin riesce a rappresentare immediatamente l’intero personaggio. E per gli appassionati del cinema c’è questo gioco del riconoscimento dei personaggi Hearst viene visto come colui che ricerca il contatto con Mank, in quanto affascinato dalla cultura di quest’ultimo. E proprio quando ci sarà uno scontro tra i due, emergerà la motivazione di Hearst a fare in modo che Mank esprima il suo ingegno. Da un punto di vista più tecnico, Busetti scende nel dettaglio rispetto al suo apporto all’adattamento: «Io non lavoro in due fasi; prima la traduzione e dopo i dialoghi. Preferisco lavorare direttamente dall’inglese ai dialoghi per agire in modo più istintivo e legato alle immagini e alle sensazioni che queste mi procurano. Il mio mestiere è fatto bene quando nessuno è in grado di dire: questi dialoghi sono di Busetti: io non devo esserci. Il nostro lavoro è un lavoro di servizio ai personaggi. In questo caso, per comprendere al meglio il contesto in cui questi si muovono, ho svolto anche un lavoro di ricerca storica. All’epoca c’era stata una catastrofe climatica, dovuta ad una serie di tempeste di polvere che avevano sacrificato i raccolti. Dalle campagne ci si spingeva verso la costa californiana e questo creava tensione sociale. In questo clima, gli Studios minacciarono di lasciare la California nel caso di vittoria dei democratici alle elezioni del Governatore. È così in profondità che opportuno scendere, quando bisogna tradurre un film e calarlo in un’altra realtà linguistica». Da un punto di vista più prettamente registico, possiamo dire con Mary Pellegatta che il film è una sorta di inchiesta su chi in realtà fosse Mank. Ci sono una serie di flashback che, pezzo dopo pezzo ci aiutano a ricostruire il personaggio. Oltre a Mank uno dei protagonisti insieme a Hearst è il grande Ego di Orson Welles. Possiamo concludere soffermandoci a riflettere sulla quantità di nomination ricevute da questo nuovo capolavoro di Fincher, e sul valore che Hollywood ha deciso di attribuire ad un film che ha seguito canali non convenzionali per raccontare proprio il suo mondo. Articolo di Gioia G. Di Mattia.
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