News 2018

Now, More than Ever, we need "Boris"!

Written by Marco Grande Arbitro

A few days ago, talking about this and that with friends, a speech about Italian cults came out. Those cults that are loved by everything and everyone, who have entered the imagination of Italian pop culture. It immediately came out "Fantozzi" and all his satire, immediately after the fistfights of Bud Spencer and Terence Hill. Shortly thereafter I say everyone: «Guys... Boris! Boris!»... Immediately the memory of all started on the historical sketches of the show. Fomented, as soon as I returned home I saw all the episodes again: from the first season until the movie. Do you know what I tell you?

"Boris" is a fucking masterpiece!

The more time passes and the more it improves... This time I have understood something new. In these mediocre times we still need "Boris"!

Eleven years have passed since the first season of "Boris", but already from the first episode the show became pop culture. Think only of the terms or the cult phrases of the series. Making an improvised list, so on the spot, we remember:

• - Come on! Come on! Come on! That we shoot it;
• - To fucking dog;
• - Open all the light;
• - Open all;
• - The madness;
• - The stock package;
• - The ring of the count;
• - Fucking lucky;
• - Who chares;
• - What the fuck;
• - Damned bitch;
• - Dog actor without appeal;
• - The comic line;
• - The peppered mussels;
• - The slave;
• - You're very Italian;
• - The feast of thanks;
• - Make the astonished face;
• - Shit face actor;
• - I'm very good;
• - The great popular narrative...

I stop here, but I'm sure that we can still mention anecdotes in abundance. Believe me, in all these years I'm seeing more and more people quoting "Boris" in everyday life... Just think of the amazing comedies of Facebook, as "Ferretti Cammina con Me". All the people who have seen "Boris" have a good memory of the show... Simply because it leaves you something inside.

But why? Just why "Boris" and not other Italian TV series? Why even the smallest details are impressed in the fans? Let's explain calmly...

Visit "Ferretti Cammina con Me", you will not regret it!

I love "Boris" for its message, that is wonderful and terrible at the same time. "Boris" tells the stories of the characters who have resigned themselves to ugliness. They are the portrait of Italians who are surrounded by mediocrity, by sloppiness and by ugliness. So much for the saying: "Beauty will make you free"! Here they are all slaves of the horrid... They are all (who more and who less) cynical characters, who live an eternally gray life. I want to use a partial quote concerning the work: "This is the story of poor people a little good and a little bad". How fitting is this sentence (to fucking dog) to describe all "Boris".

They are all anti-heroes:

• - Alessandro, the intern, represents the innocence of the whole series. The system wants to swallow him, but he wants to move forward with his strengths. A difficult task, given that the system itself prevents him;
• - René Ferretti, the director, is the show's star performer as well as the symbol of the series. On the one hand he looks for the artistic perfection, on the other hand he has given up on shit for years. He's really a complex character, perennially unsatisfied... He's always looking for something. Sometimes a few money for living, sometimes the artistic perfection. He has an incredible inner conflict;
• - Arianna, the first assistant director, is the only person who takes hers job seriously. Unfortunately the system has made her a cynical, authoritarian and dictatorial soldier. The price of this diligence is the sacrifice of hers emotional and private life. It's bad to see how a worthy person is crushed by general superficiality. You really feel sorry for her;
• - Stanis La Rochelle, the star, is an hammy actor who believes to be the best Italian actor. He's the emblem of the artistic superficiality, the mediocrity that is praised by the average public;
• - Corinna Negri, the star, it's the same observation made for Stanis. But here it's exaggerated to the extreme, with the exploitation of hers body to get to hers purposes;
• - Nando Martellone, the comedian of "poor quality" that becomes famous with miserable comic catchphrases. He's the "poor comicality" of the show, which unfortunately represents a boorish comedy and not at all creative.
• - Sergio Vannucci, the director of the production, is the most shady of the crew. He does everything to not pay the employees, he steals everything and more, he deceives with beautiful words and compliments... He's the extreme version of the typical tyrannical employer;
• - Augusto Biascica, the lights manager, is the stereotype of the ignorant and rude worker. Person of humble origins, he finds pleasure in abusing the aforementioned "slaves". He's the classic average Italian, that lives "in the Italian style life" more total;
• - Duccio Patanè, the director of photography, is the character with the worst faults. At one time he had artistic qualities, but with time he has adapted himself to an approximate work. The laziness and cocaine are his strong points. Getting back to work seriously is his nightmare.

This is just a part of the characters. You could spend hours talking about: the three Screenwriters, Itala, Lorenzo, Alfredo, Lopez, President Cane, Karin, Cristina, Fabiana, Gloria, Mariano Giusti, Glauco Benetti, Orlando Serpentieri, Beatrice Di Mauro, Valerio, Remo Arcangeli, Tino Tini, Alfonso Chiavi in Mano and many others.

They are all characters full of flaws, some even ugly... But that's why we love them! They are born losers who show us the reality of the things. They don't use styles already seen in the Rai and Mediaset dramas, maybe they exaggerate a little... But anyway they really analyze the bad things of Italian society.

We love them because they are genuine, because they tell situations that we have unfortunately experienced. Perhaps we reflect ourselves in them, because we too have the same vices. It's like if they were a mirror of Italian society!

The ferocious satirical criticism of "Boris", towards generalist TV and society, it's still alive. It's incredible how a criticism of eleven years ago is still so true and current. The more time passes, the more "Boris" earns credibility. "Boris" makes you laugh as if you were seeing it for the first time. They're, however, bitter laughters... Very bitter. Especially in all seasons endings, where the sense is always the same: that is, basically, system can not be changed!

Actually "Boris" has not changed anything in Italy. The shit on television, and beyond, continues to exist. However we can admit one thing: "Boris" has opened our eyes and, above all, has given us a push to try really changing the things!

The situation has not changed, but the things are moving. Think of Italian movies released in recent years.Ok, there are still rubbishes as "Natale da Chef (Christmas as Chef)" or "Super Vacanze di Natale (Super Christmas Holidays)", but there are movies about to be released that are really worthy. Let's think of movies as: "Lo Chiamavano Jeeg Robot (They Call Me Jeeg)", "Non Essere Cattivo (Don't Be Bad)", "Suburra", "Il Racconto dei Racconti (Tale of Tales)", "Perfetti Sconosciuti (Perfect Strangers)", "Veloce come il Vento (Italian Race)", "La Pazza Gioia (Like Crazy)", "Fuocoammare (Fire at Sea)" and (above all) "La Grande Bellezza (The Great Beauty)". Ok, these movies are certainly not direct consequences of "Boris", it would be exaggerated to admit this... But anyway they demonstrate one thing: the change in Italy it can happen if we only want to believe it! The artistic qualities exist, we must bet on them.

This is the strength of "Boris": showing you the crap that surrounds us, it makes you want to move on... to change!

Can we concretely change? If we want to believe it yes! If we really want to believe it, starting with our little one...

In any case, that's why we love more and more "Boris". That's why with the passing of the years it becomes more and more cult...

That's why we want a return of the series!

But there's really need for a fourth season? Indeed in eleven years some mechanics of seriality are changed. Today there are new products, a new season could talk very well about the conflict of the streaming platforms (as Netflix) and the generalist television. However "Boris" ended in a glorious way, with an excellent movie. Would not it risk to repeat itself? I think so... Without forgetting that the construction of a new season requires almost two years of work, which really involves many people. Maybe the solution would be a special from a couple of hours, a little like the Christmas special of "Doctor Who". The processing times would be less, it would be able to involve many of the actors of the show (who have repeatedly expressed their willingness to continue the show). Who knows what will be in the future... In any case, we will accept whatever happens.

Meanwhile we keep the desire to change that "Boris" has left us. That I like to see it as a hope for better times.

That's why that now, more than ever, we need "Boris"!

Greetings from yours
Marco Grande Arbitro