Given the media hubbub over kidnapping as a terrorist tactic, Bellocchio's recreation of the imprisonment of Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro by the Red Brigade in 1978 has much contemporary resonance. In particular, it explores the idea of inner division within extremist groups that pride themselves on outward displays of unity, as Sansa comes to question both the validity of the abduction and the ideology behind it.
This is a meticulously crafted drama that makes evocative use of television news footage. Moreover, it gradually allows the claustrophobic intensity of the situation to spark the tensions between the activists, who are as much victims of their superiors as the doomed premier. Powerful, provocative and profound.