More Maltese Film
I just got back from seeing yet another Maltese film! This time I saw “Gaġġa” (Cage) which was made by students at the University of Malta back in 1973, but it has been newly revamped and re-released in the cinema. (Apparently it was on DVD, as once again I could see the cursor up on the corner of the big screen).
I am glad to report that this time, I enjoyed it very much! [Warning, plot spoiler begins here] It is based on a novel by Frans Sammut, and is basically a metaphor for Maltese society around the time leading up to independence in 1964. The focus is on Freddu, a young man who lives in a village with his very conservative parents. He has to deal with their repressive views as he tries to balance that with his desire to date girls, have sex, fall in love, marry and make a future for himself. At one point he moves to the “big city” and gives it a go there, only to find yet another culture shock as he meets people who prefer to speak and act English and whose morals have perhaps gone too far the other way. Throughout, the heavy political air and the talk of upcoming independence is everywhere. In the end, he decides to leave the island to get away from everything and get some breathing space. An ominous narrator voice asks him to think well before he leaves his homeland as the tears run down his face. [Plot spoiler end]
Yes, you might consider it a very “artsy” student film. But I found that in this case the melodrama can be excused as it is all a metaphor, and often what we see is not what is actually happening but rather the point of view of confused Freddu’s mind. The lead performance by Ray Camilleri is phenomenal. It worked so well, that the ending made me genuinely sad. (Perhaps because I am sensitive to the topic of people having to leave their country for a better future, which is something that Malta experience heavily between the 1940’s and 1970’s but which my country of birth is continuing to experience today.)
Prosit to those responsible for redistributing this hidden Maltese gem for a new generation to enjoy. It was shown last week at the still ongoing European Film Festival. I hope it was shown with English subtitles and that many people went to see it. This time I would be proud for Malta to show this film.
Incidentally, it was fun to see Malta in 1973. The village streets look pretty much the same, but Sliema has changed dramatically. I even recognised a side street off of Rue d’Argens, which I will soon go and check out to give it a good comparison 34 years later.
As a funny anecdote, a woman walked in during the intermission. About five minutes into the second half of the film, she taps on my shoulder and says with a Russian accent, “Adverrrrtizzing, this is? What iiiis?” I replied that this was the movie, and she ran out confused. It was a scene where people were using some English, maybe she should have stayed and watched.
