This article explains the meaning and plotline of Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand Of God by breaking down the events and plot of the film in detail. To maintain the enjoyment of the first vision, we advise reading it immediately after watching the movie and not beforehand.
The Hand Of God is no exception to the highly metaphorical nature of Paolo Sorrentino’s movies. The director is able to depict both the more human and well-liked side of Naples in the 1980s, which is also made up of the underworld, complex family dynamics, and personal struggles. Naples is a fascinating location for this film. The emotional backdrop of a metropolis where no character can fully establish their own dimension of life—and where, as a result, popular tales take on greater significance—is the arrival of Maradona.
The Hand of God, then, is not just the one that gave Maradona’s famous goal its name; it also stands for the mysterious manner that fate works in the lives of the characters. In the second act of the movie, when his uncle Alfredo tells Fabietto that he is alive for a very special cause, he is brought up in a fiery fashion. It was created by God’s hand. Uncle Alfredo believed that his life should have been devoted to the Maradona celebration in Naples. However, as will soon be clear, the second half of the movie will fundamentally alter Fabietto’s perspective on life.
The terrible passing of Fabietto and Marchino’s parents serves as the watershed between the two distinct halves of the movie. The opening scene with St. Januarius and the young monk illustrates the many faces of Naples, including the visionary one created from popular traditions. Life seems carefree in that initial stage, which allows the Schisa brothers’ utter admiration of Maradona to flourish. However, the tribulations of real life are increasingly becoming apparent. In the major argument between the Schisa couples, in the relative’s detention while a World Cup game is being shown, and in Aunt Patrizia’s troubles that become more and more obvious.
Everything is altered by the parents’ untimely death. And it is clear that Fabietto undergoes greater personal transformation than the others. Up until the point that he even distances himself from his older brother, who still refuses to acknowledge that he needs to mature swiftly and claims he still prefers to think about summer and friends. Fabietto, however, needs to swiftly transition into adulthood. The encounter with the Neapolitan director Capuano is essential since the youngster is still unsure of what this means. Fabietto cries that he needs to give meaning to his existence and say something, and Capuano pushes him to see if he actually has something to say. Through that specific experience, Fabietto discovers that he has the power to be someone.
The following day, when the city rejoices over Napoli’s victory in the Italian football championship, Fabietto displays utter apathy in what, not long before, would have been the happiest time of his life. But for the time being, Fabietto’s life does not allow for happiness. Finding oneself and the mature life that awaits him must come first. He travels to Rome by train as a result, seeking the manifestation of himself at that precise moment that comes most naturally to him. Finally, the young monk shows up in a vacant train station, waves to him with the whistle his parents had always used, and bestows his blessing. As Capuano claimed, Fabietto was not left behind. Awaiting him is adulthood.
A true story
Intriguing fact about the movie: Paolo Sorrentino, who is from Naples, had parents who died suddenly when he was 16 due to a gas leak in their brand-new vacation home. Fabietto’s story is based on his own experience. The director ought to have been there, but just the previous weekend, he received permission from his father to attend the Napoli game alone for the first time in his life. Sorrentino only avoided losing both of his parents because of this tragic occurrence.