The Tale Of King Crab Review: Italian Folk Tale Is Calm & Thought-Provoking
The Tale Of King Crab moves at the pace of the sea creature it’s titled after, but that isn’t necessarily a problem. The feel of the film is very reminiscent of Italian pictures of the late 1950s and early 1960s, but it occasionally leans too far back into the past. Writer-director duo Alessio Rigo de Righi and Matteo Zoppis (Belva Nera) have a keen eye for isolationist themes and it comes across in both their choices, as well as the lead performance. Outside of one unnecessary storytelling device, The Tale Of King Crab is never melodramatic and always moves at its own pace.
Luciano (Gabriele Silli) wanders the countryside in a drunken stupor. Along the way, he meets men and women who occasionally find him charming, but — for the most part — have no time for his antics. His luck finally runs out when he is over-served and approached by soldiers as reckless as he is. Luciano is exiled and takes up with a group who is on the hunt for the fabled Janita gold. In this new land, disguised as a priest who has the means needed to find the gold, Luciano embarks on the journey with his new identity and a crab. According to legend, he is the map and the crab is the compass. The unlikely band of brothers follow the crab to their ultimate demise.
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The Tale Of King Crab doesn’t show off, but it is quietly epic. When the film spreads its wings, it feels like anything is possible. Cinematographer Simone D’Arcangelo does a great job incorporating things like CGI ships with masterful wide shots of mountaintops. The look of the film is perhaps its greatest technical achievement. Many films are going for an 8mm cinematic look and, whether or not they use a
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