The concept of the odyssey has existed longer than just about any form of literature, with the stories of brave heroes setting off on journeys across mystical lands being the foundation for a lot of the themes usually associated with fiction, starting as tales of bravery used to entertain and enrich the lives of ancient civilisations, and eventually flourishing into an artform in itself. We still see many examples of this trope being developed in contemporary art, and cinema in particular has embraced this kind of narrative, whether focusing on the past or applying the structure to a more contemporary setting. We find one of the more engaging films to be produced along these lines coming in the form of Io Capitano, in which Matteo Garrone applies many of the same principles of this genre into a modern framework, developing a hauntingly beautiful story about two young men venturing from their native Senegal to the shores of Italy, in the hopes of finding a brighter future in Europe. Making their way across Africa through various means of transport, and driven by only their audacity and forthright desire to reach their goal, our protagonists face immense hardship and encounter many obstacles along the way, all of which are essential to their journey. Beautifully made and filled with genuine compassion, Io Capitano captures the small beauties of life in such vibrant, compelling detail, that we find ourselves becoming deeply immersed in the world Garrone constructs for us, and we gleefully get lost in this story, which has been turned into a beautiful and captivating film that keeps us engaged and moves us in unexpected ways, which is not something that we may have necessarily expected coming from such seemingly simple material.

Garrone has not always been a director who has embraced the concept of subtlety. He is certainly very gifted, but he’s not the embodiment of restraint in a lot of instances, which is why he occupies such a unique place in contemporary Italian cinema. He has fashioned himself as more of a storyteller than a filmmaker, an important distinction that helps us understand his approach to certain subjects, as well as his filmmaking methods as a whole. His films always have a social message, which we find woven throughout even the most abstract of stories – and Io Capitano represents one of his most resonant stories. The plight of those suffering in poverty is something that has been a factor in the global conversation for decades, and it seems like the only way for many of these people to improve their way of life is to seek refuge in more developed countries, which in itself brings up several discussions around cultural identity and globalization. This film is not interested in the politics of migration or the details that go into the conversations about what is undeniably a refugee crisis, but these ideas are still present in the film, with Garrone using them as the foundation for a poetic and deeply moving exploration of the journey two young men, as well as a range of other characters they meet along the way, take towards what they hope is a better future, one in which they can grow to become the people their parents hoped they could be, but which seems to only be possible through escape. It is certainly not a story that lends itself to a more subdued style of narrative, but we find that the film is most engaging when it is allowed to draw on some of these more resonant themes while being filtered through Garrone’s unique sense of direction, which we may not initially realize is perfectly suited to this kind of narrative

One of the elements of Io Capitano that stands above just about everything else is the performances, in particular the one given by Seydou Sarr, a young actor without any prior acting experience who was cast in the central role. This is not a particularly easy character to play, and it required an actor who could not only convincingly take on all of the challenges presented to him throughout the course of the journey, but who does so in a way that feels authentic and riveting, without relying too heavily on the film to bolster his performance. This is one of the rare instances where we can see a truly great talent being discovered, and while a lot of the performance requires Sarr to play to the more internal aspects of the character, we do find that he does succeed wholeheartedly in the moments where he is allowed to draw on a more complex range of emotions, running the gamut and making the character a truly engaging protagonist. Moustapha Fall is also excellent and brings a similar level of complexity to his role, despite being absent from quite a significant portion of the film. The performances of the two protagonists underline the central theme of Io Capitano, which is primarily that this is a film about friendship and brotherhood, with these two young men deciding that they would rather take an enormous risk if it meant that it would allow them to have a brighter future, but it becomes clear that they only intend to achieve this together, their moments of separation being the most tense, and the scene where they reunite being the most heartfelt of the entire film. Garrone draws out exceptionally strong performances from his two leads, as well as from the supporting cast, who may only appear in small portions of the film, but leave an indelible impression on the film as a whole.

Io Capitano does not have the sense of abstraction that usually defined works like Tale of Tales and his definitive version of Pinocchio, but this didn’t prevent him from still adding more off-beat elements to the film, albeit in a slightly more subdued manner. Undeniably, this is a film that tends to be slightly heavy-handed in its message, and unfortunately, it seems impossible to make a film about refugees that doesn’t draw on some very serious themes. The primary difference here is that the film manages to avoid becoming too overwrought by making a few intriguing artistic diversions – the main character occasionally finds himself parallel to reality (whether these are delusions caused by the harsh climate through which he is moving or excursions into his childlike imagination), which are used to show his internal dialogue and the insecurities that he faces, even when he hides behind a facade of bravery and valour. The film has a slightly peculiar tone – it is mainly very serious and is constructed along the lines of a conventional refugee drama, but the brief but meaningful scattering of more abstract ideas gives Io Capitano the sense of being cut from the cloth of magical realism. This allows the film to avoid cliches as much as possible since it doesn’t need to depend on conventions to get its message across, and whether or not it is entirely successful is up to individual interpretation, since there is still a layer of sentimentality and predictability, which many of its detractors have used to portray it as a foolishly idealistic drama about seeking a future that was never intended for our protagonists, but which they are fighting for nonetheless. This aspect of the film can either feel riveting or gaudy depending on the viewer, but it certainly is extremely effective under Garrone’s precise and unique direction.

A heartfelt and deeply captivating drama that is much more complex than we may initially imagine, Io Capitano is a life-affirming drama about the power of resilience and the desire to seek out better opportunities, even if it means risking freedom or even one’s life. It’s a complex film driven by a genuine sense of humanity, and while it is not the definitive text on the refugee crisis or the state of poverty in Africa, it is still a very effective film that has nothing but the best intentions, particularly in how it refuses to trivialize the journey of the protagonist or his efforts to escape his dire situation to find prosperity, which he intends to put back into his community to life them out of the same cycle of poverty and desperation. Garrone’s decision to tell this story is admirable, and even if he may not be entirely the right person to explore some of these themes based on the fact that he is still an outsider to the communities represented in the film, his efforts are still appreciated, since he brings a sense of immense artistry to a story that could have been hackneyed to the point of bordering on overwrought for the most part. Often quite daring in its vision, but never too overtly separated from reality, Io Capitano is a beautiful film with a strong message and the willingness to have the critical conversations that are usually avoided in most instances. It has its heart in the right place and develops on all of its themes with such extraordinary precision, that we find ourselves deeply immersed in this story. It tackles important subject matter and serves to elevate the voices of the marginalized, rather than using their struggle as the foundation for an exploitative depiction of misery and suffering. The genuine compassion with which Garrone constructs Io Capitano is incredible and plays a significant part in developing this film as a much more engaging and compelling drama than we may have initially expected.