Inspirational Teaching Story is Bellissimo

This Italian film inspires as it follows Signor Sperelli, a third grade teacher who has been transferred by mistake to the poor city of Corzano. He arrives in this ghetto of Naples to find most of his students missing from class and the school falling apart. Without delay the Professor is out searching for his missing students - who are all working in the town to support their families. He rounds the kids up with ear grabbing and threats to the mayor about child labor laws until he finally has a full classroom. Looking up to him from their seats is assembled a wide range of kids with troubled lives. Throughout the movie Mr. Sperelli fights to make a difference in the life of the troublemaker of the class named Raffale Aiello, a foul speaking youth full of Mafioso. Mr. Sperelli soon earns the children’s respect, and endears himself to the tragic families living in the neighborhood.

When I first encountered this film I was under the impression it was going to be a slapstick type of comedy involving a bumbling teacher and his class. There were some very funny parts to this movie, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it delved into much deeper issues. Being that I work with children I was immediately drawn to the children of the class and the teacher himself.

Mr. Sperelli is a believable character who struggles with the position. When Raffale first enters the classroom trying to invoke others to leave, Sperelli loses hold of his emotions and slaps the cursing youth. Immediately feeling guilty he attempts to have the principal report him. The principal reassures him slapping the kid was, “the best thing he had done since he arrived in town.” Thus is the environment of the violent ghetto - and it makes him sick.

The third grade students in the classroom really draw one into this movie. I particularly enjoyed the first student we meet (Adriano Pantaleo) who works at the local ice-cream store. He explains to Sperelli the sad state of Corzano with plenty of foul language from the cute smile of a third grader. As we meet each child in the class we really get a picture of how this urban environment has made them grow up faster then they should. Amazingly the kids still act like children most of the time. However, when they are not playing many of them seem to act more adult than most of the junkies, drunks, and thieves that they are surrounded by. One young girl takes on the role of the mother of her family, cooking for the family and feeding the baby while her siblings create havoc and her drunken father sleeps. Not only does she tell Mr. Sperelli she has everything under control, but she does it with a smile while asking him to help in the kitchen. You will be happy to see how the teacher helps these kids - not so much with their schoolwork - but by acting as a caring and dependable figure in their lives.

If you enjoyed such movies as Stand By Me or Stand and Deliver you should definitely check this movie out. You will also see a side of urban Italy that is not always seen in the many versions of the “romantic beautiful Italian movie”. The landscape is tough, but the children and their teacher are definitely bellissimo.