My Brother is an Only Child

Set in Italy in the turbulent years of the late 60s and early 70s, MY BROTHER IS AN ONLY CHILD tells the story of siblings at opposite ends of the political spectrum. Working-class brothers, Manrico and Accio, live with their sister and parents in a tumble-down apartment in Latina, a city created by Mussolini. The adolescent Accio, a bundle of nervous energy, starts off at seminary school, which he soon leaves after suffering a crisis of conscience. Arriving back home with a love of Latin and a personality drawn to causes, Accio first signs up with the Fascist party. His affiliation with the local hooligans seems designed to dust up his family's leftist sympathies as much as anything else. Meantime, Manrico has taken a job at the local factory and started a career as a speaker for the workers. Adding to the strain on their relationship is Accio's crush on Manrico's girlfriend, Francesca. The brothers' arguments and physical confrontations, long part of the tapestry of their family life, take on a more serious tone when Manrico gets deeply involved with radical leftist groups. This film reminds us that family ties are stronger than political ones. (In Italian with English subtitles) – BB