Behind every great man there is a woman and that is certainly the case in Marco Bellocchio’s biopic based on the book The Secret Son Of Il Duce: The Story Of Albino Mussolini And His Mother Ida Dalser.
A young and impassioned Benito Mussolini (Filippo Timi) draws the attentions of emotionally unstable Ida Dalser (Giovanna Mezzogiorno).
The pair become lovers and raise a son then Benito leaves to fight in the Italian army.
He is presumed killed in battle and poor Ida struggles to come to terms with her loss.
When Benito re-emerges some years later, she is thrilled - less so to discover that he now has a wife, Rachele (Michela Cescon), and as his mistress, she is the embarrassment to his ambitions.
Ida refuses to fade silently into the background, putting her in direct conflict with the man she worships.
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