You’ve probably seen the posters by now. A bald, hulking figure staring down the lens with a look that’s equal parts terrifying and bizarrely theatrical. That’s Luca Marinelli, and he is the heart of the cast of Mussolini: Son of the Century. But if you’re expecting a dry, dusty history lesson from the guy who directed Pride & Prejudice, you’re in for a shock.
Joe Wright didn't make a documentary. He made a fever dream.
The series, which hit Sky and MUBI in early 2025, adapts Antonio Scurati’s massive novel with a weird, pulsating energy. It’s colorful. It’s loud. It has a soundtrack by The Chemical Brothers. Honestly, it feels more like a gangster movie than a political biopic, which is probably the point. Fascism, in this telling, wasn't just a policy shift; it was a vibe shift led by a man who treated politics like performance art.
The Man in the Center: Luca Marinelli as Benito Mussolini
Let’s talk about the transformation. Marinelli didn’t just put on a suit. He gained roughly 20 kilograms (about 44 pounds) and spent hours in the makeup chair every single morning to disappear into the role.
You might remember him as the sensitive, immortal Nicky from The Old Guard or the titular Martin Eden. He’s usually lean, soulful, and soft-spoken. Here? He’s a tank. He plays Mussolini as a man who knows he’s being watched. He breaks the fourth wall constantly, looking right at you to explain how he’s going to dismantle democracy while making you love him for it.
It’s a "gross" performance in the best way. He sweats. He shouts. He eats with a ferocity that’s genuinely uncomfortable to watch. Critics have compared his portrayal to Shakespeare’s Richard III—a villain who is fully aware of his villainy and invites the audience to be his accomplice.
Why the Casting Works
- The Physicality: Marinelli captures that specific, chin-forward strut that became the blueprint for 20th-century dictators.
- The Voice: He nails the transition from the desperate journalist of 1919 to the state-ordained "Duce" of 1925.
- The Eyes: There’s a frantic, insecure energy behind the stare. He plays Mussolini not as a mastermind, but as a guy who is making it up as he goes along and is shocked that no one is stopping him.
The Power Players: More Than Just Sidekicks
While Marinelli is the sun everything revolves around, the supporting cast of Mussolini: Son of the Century is what grounds the madness in reality. You can't build a cult of personality alone. You need thugs, intellectuals, and a very patient wife.
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The Women Who Shaped Him
Barbara Chichiarelli plays Margherita Sarfatti, and she is easily the most interesting person in the room. Sarfatti was an intellectual powerhouse, an art critic, and Mussolini’s long-term mistress. Chichiarelli plays her with a sharp, calculating elegance. She isn't just a romantic interest; she’s basically the architect of the "Mussolini" brand. She sees the potential in this rough-around-the-edges journalist and helps polish him into a leader.
On the flip side, you have Benedetta Cimatti as Rachele Guidi, Mussolini’s wife. If Sarfatti is the future he wants, Rachele is the past he can’t quit. Cimatti plays her as a woman of the earth—stubborn, unimpressed by the political theater, and the only person who treats Benito like a normal, flawed human being. The contrast between these two women tells you more about Mussolini’s psyche than any speech could.
The Inner Circle of Fascism
Then there are the "Ras"—the local warlords who actually did the dirty work.
Francesco Russo is Cesare Rossi, Mussolini’s right-hand man and the guy who handled the PR for the early fascist movement. Russo plays him with a sort of greasy, nervous energy. He’s the one who has to clean up the messes when the violence goes too far, and you can see the toll it takes on him as the series progresses toward the murder of Giacomo Matteotti.
Speaking of violence, Lorenzo Zurzolo shows up as Italo Balbo. If you’ve seen Zurzolo in the Netflix show Baby, forget it. He’s unrecognizable here as the black-shirted thug who pioneered the use of castor oil as a torture method. He represents the youth of the movement—violent, bored, and hungry for a fight.
The Moral Compass: Gaetano Bruno as Giacomo Matteotti
Every story like this needs a hero, even if it’s a tragic one. Gaetano Bruno plays Giacomo Matteotti, the socialist leader who was the only man in Parliament brave enough to call Mussolini a fraud to his face.
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In a show filled with over-the-top performances and theatrical lighting, Bruno is remarkably still. He’s the "adult in the room." When he stands up in the Chamber of Deputies to denounce the 1924 election results, the show stops being a satire and becomes a horror movie. His performance is the anchor that reminds the audience that the "funny" little man breaking the fourth wall is actually a murderer.
Behind the Camera: Joe Wright’s Vision
It’s worth mentioning that the cast of Mussolini: Son of the Century was directed by Joe Wright with a very specific intent. He has gone on record saying the show is a "howl against the rise of the far-right" today. This explains why the tone is so aggressive.
He uses the camera to alienate the viewer. You aren't supposed to feel comfortable. When Mussolini talks to you, it’s a seduction, and the cast has to play into that. They aren't just playing historical figures; they’re playing archetypes of how power is seized and maintained.
The music helps. Tom Rowlands (The Chemical Brothers) provides a score that sounds like a rave in a bunker. It strips away the "period drama" feel and makes the events of 1919 feel like they’re happening right now.
What to Watch For
If you’re diving into the series, keep an eye on these specific performance beats:
- The 1919 San Sepolcro Speech: Watch Marinelli’s hands. He’s nervous. He’s playing a man who doesn't know if anyone will show up.
- The Sarfatti Salons: Notice how the lighting changes when Chichiarelli is on screen. It goes from the grimy streets to a golden, high-society glow.
- The D’Annunzio Rivalry: Paolo Pierobon plays Gabriele D'Annunzio, the poet-soldier who Mussolini was terrified of. Their scenes together are a masterclass in two egos trying to out-perform each other.
Is It Historically Accurate?
Mostly, yes. While the style is hyper-modern, the sequence of events—from the founding of the Fasci Italiani di Combattimento to the Matteotti crisis—follows the historical record closely. The dialogue is often pulled directly from Scurati’s research, which was based on actual archives and newspapers from the era.
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The "vibe" might be 2026, but the facts are 1924.
Moving Forward with the Series
If you've finished the show and want to get a deeper sense of the reality behind the performances, there are a few things you should do next. First, look up the actual footage of Mussolini’s speeches. You’ll see exactly where Marinelli got that weird, theatrical head-tilt. It wasn't an invention for the show; the real man was that much of a caricature.
You should also check out the original book by Antonio Scurati. It’s a bit of a tome, but it provides the internal monologues that the show replaces with those fourth-wall breaks. Understanding the "cast" of the real-life March on Rome helps you appreciate just how much of a miracle it was that such a disorganized group of people took over a country.
Lastly, pay attention to the minor characters like Amerigo Dumini (played by Federico Majorana). He’s the one who actually carries out the violence. In the show, he’s a shadow, a reminder that while the leaders talk, the thugs are the ones who change history.
The series is a tough watch, but with this cast, it’s impossible to look away.
Next Steps:
- Compare the performances: Watch a clip of the real Benito Mussolini on YouTube and note how Marinelli replicates the "Duce" chin-thrust.
- Read the source: Pick up M: Son of the Century by Antonio Scurati to see the historical documents the dialogue was based on.
- Watch the director’s previous work: See Darkest Hour to see how Joe Wright handles the opposite side of the World War II coin with Winston Churchill.