Gramsci 44

Antonio Gramsci was born in a small town on the island of Sardina, part of the then Kingdom of Italy. He is perhaps best known for his work within the Italian Communist Party (PCI) and devotion to the revolutionary cause in the face of Mussolini's fascist terror.  Spanning some 3,000 pages, his Prison Notebooks are a feat of immense strength in the face of his (soon-to-be fatal) carceral conditions, and his works continue to serve as a source of knowledge and inspiration for contemporary Communist movements. Gramsci's greatness will be forever embodied in the words of a fascist prosecutor: "For twenty years we must stop this brain from functioning."

The documentary film Gramsci 44 (available here) details the life of the titular Italian during a little-known period of his life: the brief captivity on the island of Utica, prior to his much longer imprisonment in Rome. In 1926, Gramsci was sentenced to a five-year term on the tiny island along with several other political and apolitical "criminals." Gramsci and his fellow captives were teachers at heart, and soon established study groups and even a small school for the locals (a brief but interesting discussion on the history of education and literacy in Italy ensues). Judging by interviews with island locals, Gramsci and his comrades left an indelible mark on the community. His short-lived adventure is reminiscent of Carlo Levi and his experiences during exile in Southern Italy (described in his memoir, Christ Stopped at Eboli). Had he kept his head down and stayed out of trouble, Gramsci might have avoided his ultimate fate. But, bless him, this was a man who never stopped thinking.

On January 22, 1937, Gramsci was taken from Utica. Accused "fomenting class hatred" and "instigating civil war," he was sentenced to just over twenty years imprisonment. It was at this trial, Gramsci's last, that the aftermentioned prosecutor spat infamous words of hatred and vitriol. Released in 1935, he was denied much-needed medical care and died on April 27, 1937, at the age of 46.

Gramsci 44 depicts the revolutionary hero at his greatest; a kind, gentle, passionate, and inquisitive teacher and human being. Nothing more and nothing less.