Can the dark, visceral fables of the 17th century explain our modern obsessions?
In short: Matteo Garrone’s 2015 film Tale of Tales adapts Giambattista Basile’s Pentamerone into a haunting cinematic triptych. By weaving together stories of impossible desire, the film explores the destructive nature of obsession, from the vanity of youth to the frantic, often violent, pursuit of motherhood and the complexities of generational conflict.
Released in 2015, Tale of Tales marked director Matteo Garrone’s first English-language production. Competing for the Palme d'Or at Cannes, the film draws from the 17th-century Pentamerone by Italian poet Giambattista Basile. Garrone, previously recognized for his naturalist style in films like Gomorrah, sought to blend the real with the unreal, finding inspiration in Francisco Goya’s Los caprichos etchings to capture the dark, grotesque mood of the original source material.
The narrative structure follows three distinct tales: the Kingdom of Longtrellis, where a Queen’s desperate desire for a child leads to a bloody, supernatural entanglement; the Kingdom of Strongcliff, where an elderly sister’s obsession with youth drives her to self-mutilation; and the Kingdom of Highhills, where a King’s fixation on a giant flea results in the tragic sacrifice of his daughter. Garrone argues that these stories, while distinct, are unified by the theme of desire turning into obsession. He frames the film as a portrait of a woman at three stages of life: youth, motherhood, and aging.
To achieve an aesthetic of 'artificial truth,' the production team filmed entirely on location across Italy, utilizing sites like the Castel del Monte and the Donnafugata Castle. The goal was to ensure every setting felt grounded in reality while appearing as if it had been meticulously crafted in a studio. With a budget of US$14.5 million, the film received critical acclaim, holding an 84% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics praised its visual splendor and its ability to deliver an 'off-kilter wallop' for mature audiences, proving that the visceral, unsettling nature of classic fables remains relevant to contemporary anxieties regarding plastic surgery, vanity, and the painful transition from adolescence to adulthood.
The film’s production was a collaborative international effort, involving Archimede Film, Le Pact, and Recorded Picture Company, with financing from Rai Cinema, MiBACT, and Eurimages. Principal photography lasted four months, beginning in May 2014. By grounding these fantastical, often gruesome tales in tangible, historical Italian locations, Garrone successfully bridged the gap between ancient folklore and modern psychological themes, creating a work that remains a significant, albeit dark, tribute to the history of the fairytale genre.
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