Parthenope: a journey into the soul of Naples and the art of cinema

Parthenope, Paolo Sorrentino’s latest film, is a work that marks a return to the director’s Neapolitan roots, but with a completely new approach. This feature film is not only a homage to the city of Naples, but also a profound investigation into the relationship between beauty, life and the art of cinema. The film, named after the ancient name for Naples, ‘Parthenope’, is a visual dream that mixes history, myth and modernity, creating a unique atmosphere that only Sorrentino could conceive. The plot: a city and a myth
The story unfolds in a setting that seems suspended between the past and the present. Naples is almost a character in its own right, with its streets, palaces and breathtaking views merging with mythology and history. The film revolves around a mysterious event that marks a fateful encounter between a young woman, symbol of the city, and a group of characters who try to understand – each in their own way – the destiny that binds them to the city and its tradition.
The title itself, ‘Parthenope’, evokes the mythological figure of a mermaid who, according to legend, founded Naples. This reference to the myth is for Sorrentino the starting point for a visual and emotional exploration of the city. The film plays with the contrast between the vibrant and chaotic Naples, its sunnier and more human side, and the dark and mysterious side that emerges in moments of crisis and deep reflection.

Sorrentino’s direction: an aesthetic that enraptures
Paolo Sorrentino, famous for his baroque visual style and his ability to mix the grandeur of the image with the intimacy of his characters, does not disappoint even in Parthenope. The film is a veritable feast for the eyes, with shots that seem to come straight out of a Caravaggio canvas or a scene from a play. Light plays a fundamental role, as always in the director’s work, creating contrasts that underline the emotions of the protagonists and the underlying tensions of the plot.
Each scene is constructed with an almost maniacal precision, but at the same time the film does not renounce spontaneity, as if each frame were the result of a perfectly orchestrated improvisation. The city of Naples is filmed with a beauty that verges on the sublime, but also with a sensitivity that knows how to capture its contradictions: the majesty of the gulf and its monuments is intertwined with the often difficult daily life of its inhabitants.

Themes: art, time and the city
One of the central themes of Parthenope is art. As in many of his previous films, Sorrentino explores the very nature of art and its ability to reflect reality, but also to transcend it. The Naples of Parthenope is not just a physical place, but becomes a symbol of art itself, in all its forms: from music to painting, from philosophy to poetry.
The film also questions the concept of time, which flows in a particular way for those who live in a city like Naples, where past and present constantly intermingle, and history is always alive, tangible, in the streets and traditions. The characters in the film always seem to wander between the desire to stop time and the awareness that, like the city that hosts them, they are destined to live in an eternal becoming.
Another important aspect of the film is the relationship between the individual and the collective. Sorrentino explores how people are intertwined with the city they inhabit, and how that city, with its pulsating energy, influences and shapes the lives of individuals. Parthenope ‘s Naples is a city of contradictions, where beauty and chaos coexist in a precarious balance, where culture and misery live side by side, creating a tension that becomes a recurring theme in the film.

Music: another protagonist
As in many of Sorrentino’s films, music plays a key role. In Parthenope, the soundtrack is one of the features that define the atmosphere of the film. Not only as an accompaniment, but as a true visual language that merges with the images to narrate emotions and moods. Music, in particular, seems to be another bridge between past and present, between myth and reality. The musical choices range from Neapolitan music classics to more modern compositions, and in this Sorrentino seems to want to celebrate the musical tradition of his city, without forgetting its continuous renewal.

An opera poised between dream and reality
In conclusion, Parthenope is a film that can be described as both intellectual and sensorial. Every scene is an ode to beauty and mystery, and every shot is an invitation to immerse oneself in a world that seems to elude rational logic, but which fascinates by its ability to evoke emotions and reflections. Sorrentino does not seek easy answers, but urges the viewer to confront the deepest questions about art, life and the city he has chosen as the symbol of his cinema.