A fascinating new documentary from Croatian director Igor Bezinović takes audiences on a journey into one of the 20th century's most peculiar political episodes. Fiume o Morte! presents a darkly comic reconstruction of Italian poet Gabriele D'Annunzio's bizarre takeover of the Adriatic port city now known as Rijeka.
The Strange History of Fiume
Following the First World War, the city of Fiume found itself at the centre of international dispute. With a significant ethnic Italian population but under control of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, the city became a flashpoint for nationalist sentiment. In 1919, the flamboyant Italian aristocrat, poet and cocaine addict Gabriele D'Annunzio led 186 mercenaries in a daring landing.
Bezinović's film cleverly uses local residents of modern-day Rijeka to re-enact key moments from this strange chapter in history. The director stages these scenes in spirited tableaux that mimic old photographs and archive footage, creating what he describes as effectively a proto-fascist Passport to Pimlico.
D'Annunzio's Proto-Fascist Regime
D'Annunzio established Fiume as a pro-Italian city state under his absolute control, attracting discontented and unemployed men from Italy to serve as his soldiers. His regime lasted until 1920, when Italy itself forced him out.
The self-styled romantic visionary employed mass marching displays and spectacles to create the illusion of popular support. When plebiscites revealed that the non-Italian majority opposed his rule, he simply scrapped the votes. The film highlights a particularly grim precursor to later fascist violence: after a Croat attack on an Italian ship in Split, D'Annunzio's followers launched brutal assaults on non-Italian businesses in Fiume.
Benito Mussolini later became a huge admirer of D'Annunzio, adopting his followers' song Giovinezza as the fascist anthem. International celebrities including Marconi and Toscanini also visited the city state, their appearances recorded in the film.
Modern Reflections on Nationalism
Bezinović's approach to telling this story is both innovative and thought-provoking. By having multiple local Rijeka men portray D'Annunzio, including a former military officer described as a veteran of the Croatian war of independence, the director subtly suggests that no country holds a monopoly on nationalism or fascist tendencies.
The film serves as both comic opera and chilling message from history, reminding contemporary audiences how easily charismatic leaders can manipulate populist sentiment. Fiume o Morte! opens at the ICA in London on 21 November before expanding to UK cinemas nationwide from 28 November.
