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The Passi / The One Hundred Steps

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I Cento Passi/The One Hundred Steps manages to convey the life of Peppino Impastato in a way that leaves us (as viewers) to be the ultimate judges of his character-- and retains a degree of emotionality that allows viewers to forge a human connection between themselves and Peppino Impastato as they form ideas about him; it is a strong and powerful call to action. I Cento Passi is effective because it is moving, it is nostalgic, and most importantly-- it’s relatable. I think the most effective way to look at I Cento Passi is by starting at its conclusion and working back. I Cento Passi is first and foremost, a film, and it does not attempt to hide this. From the dialogues to the music-- it does not pretend to be a documentary. Yet, while …show more content…

For others, he is a true martyr, sacrificing intimate familial relations for his cause. We are left to draw our own conclusions about Peppino’s value-- but that is precisely the goal. It is not Peppino’s value as a person that is important, rather it is that his memory be preserved. Whether or not one agrees with the way he fought for change, the fact that he did all in his power to fight forces that unjustly overpowered him is a fact that cannot be erased. One of the most drawing things about the shift from color to black-and-white could be seen in the flags flying above the procession. It seems to me somewhat counter intuitive that as the color begins to fade from color to black-and-white that the red flags would become white-- and yet they do. White flags typically bring to mind symbolic defeat, surrender… but in this case, white might represent a lack of color. The flags that are raised no longer represent Peppino’s ideology, rather they represent any and all ideologies. The flags could be any color-- they are merely a symbol of something other than themselves. In the same way, the story of Peppino Impastato can be “fitted over” another historical figure who dies for their cause. Once again, the narrative detailed within allows itself to be extended, and is left to viewer “interpretation.” The distinction between I Cento Passi and other films that double as

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