You might think that in 2025 a series looking at the rise to power of the original fascist dictator is already topical enough. But simply drawing parallels with present day politics wasn’t enough for Joe Wright. In adapting the first volume of Italian author Antonio Scurati’s , Wright – best known for directing big screen hits such as Pride and Prejudice, Atonement and Darkest Hour – has thrown out all the cliches of historical epics.
For starters, Benito Mussolini (played by Luca Marinelli) is constantly pausing the action to talk directly to the viewer a la House of Cards. “Follow me,” he says early in the first episode. “You’ll love me too. I’ll make you a fascist.”
Benito Mussolini (played by Luca Marinelli) stops to talk to the audience. Credit: Andrea Pirrello / Sky Studios
Television’s had no shortage of seductive bad guys over the past decade or two. Mob bosses, drug chemists, scheming politicians, gleefully amoral media types; they’ve all made for compelling viewing. But Mussolini’s charm is about more than getting you to tune in next episode. It’s the rock his political career was built on.
Mussolini: Son of the Century doesn’t shy away from Mussolini’s flaws, of which there are many. It’s clear from the start that his charm is a front, an act put on by a sham who uses people shamelessly, treats the women in his life awfully and is manipulated almost as much as he manipulates – at least at first.
The electrifying visuals are paired with a soundtrack that hammers home the timeless nature of the lure of fascism.
The difference here is that Mussolini gets his power from winning over people. His charming asides and confidential whispers aren’t just a quirk to make him seem more human – they’re shown as an extension of the way fascists seduce and manipulate their audience to get them onside and make them complicit with their crimes.
And there’s plenty of crimes on display here. Across the eight episodes, we follow the rise of Il Duce as he goes from – a right wing organisation designed to funnel the anger of World War One veterans into political power – in 1919 through the March on Rome that would make him Prime Minister to the political assassination that was the final step in Italy becoming a fascist dictatorship.
The story here is a chillingly familiar look at a country where a large group of angry and alienated citizens follow a a leader committed to tearing down the nation’s institutions and replacing them with, well, him as the sole source of authority. Early on, Mussolini lets the audience in on his enemies list: the church, the king and free elections all have to go.
But while the basics of Mussolini’s rise are well-known, the way they’re told here makes his story more than just a dry warning from history. On one level this is a chilling political thriller where a nation is slowly torn apart by forces nobody seems able to defend against. Beyond that, what Wright does so well is bring to life the feel of being swept up in history.
Getting to make history is a big part of fascism’s appeal. Like all populist movements, Mussolini told the people that they would help to create a new and better world. As this series makes clear, he was a man able to ride an urge for change and shape it to his needs. It’s just that his needs were violence, brutality, the crushing of dissent, and a political system devoted entirely to him.
From the music to the mood, 'Mussolini: Son of the Century' shows what it's like to be caught up in history. Credit: Andrea Pirrello / Sky Studios
Taking inspiration from the chaos that fascists feed off and the Futurist movement that was sweeping Europe at the time, Wright depicts these years as a whirlwind with Mussolini at the centre. The camera is in constant motion, historical footage is intercut with actors, special effects are deliberately artificial and characters are filmed at odd angles to stress their small place in history or their sweaty humanity.
The electrifying visuals are paired with a soundtrack that hammers home the timeless nature of the lure of fascism. When street violence from a hundred years ago is set to a composed , one half of UK electronic act The Chemical Brothers, it’s hard not to get caught up in the rhythm of Wright’s direction. Which is exactly the point he’s trying to make.
Mussolini: Son of the Century is streaming at SBS On Demand.
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Mussolini: Son Of The Century
