A tale of history, power, and tragedy, “House of Gucci” shows the family behind the famous luxury brand. As Lady Gaga says in a voiceover at the beginning of the movie:
“But the name was a curse, too.”
Director Ridley Scott took the story of the Gucci family by the reins with the help of a star-packed cast. Although mentioned at the beginning as a true story, there are some facts that are not quite accurate. For example, Guccio Gucci did not actually start making leather saddles until 1906, but rather started his career working at the Savoy Hotel in London. Meanwhile, in the movie, it appeared that the business took off immediately. Once the Gucci brand had been started, Guccio split the company between his sons, two of which were portrayed in the movie, Aldo (Al Pacino) and Rodolfo (Jeremy Irons).
The movie picks up in 1978 when Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver), grandson of Guccio Gucci, and Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga) meet at a party. After a whirlwind of events, they end up getting married much to the dismay of Rodolfo Gucci, who viewed Patrizia as a gold digger. As their marriage progressed, Patrizia started spinning webs of drama throughout the family in order to gain all profits of the brand. Once Rodolfo died, Patrizia got Paolo Gucci, Maurizio’s cousin, to exploit his father’s fraud, sending Aldo to prison at 81. Paolo was convinced by Patrizia to campaign his ideas and was later found out by officials for wrongly using the name Gucci.
Patrizia and Maurizio eventually got divorced, but Patrizia’s idea to win over complete control of the family brand remained. Maurizio became power-hungry and got his uncle and cousin to hand over their share in the company. However, Patrizia’s storyline as a Gucci was not over. Pina Auriemma, a psychic, sent Patrizia over the edge as she began to plan Maurizio’s murder. On Mar. 27, 1995, Maurizio Gucci was fatally shot four times. Partizia was sent to prison for 29 years for the murder but was released after 18 years.
The film is a perfect portrayal of the Gucci name, sprinkled with drama and tough love. However, Tom Ford, the former creative director— who actually lived through many of these events— was not impressed. For Ford, Jared Leto and Al Pacino seemed to over exaggerate their characters. Adam Driver and Lady Gaga had a better performance in Ford’s eyes. In terms of how the entire story was portrayed, Ford said,
“I was deeply sad for several days after watching “House of Gucci,” a reaction that I think only those of us who knew the players and the play will feel. It was hard for me to see the humor and camp in something that was so bloody. In real life, none of it was camp.”
The three-hour film is a must-watch in order to truly understand both sides of the trials that ensued amongst the family. Although a curse of a name, it is hard not to say “Father, Son, and House of Gucci” after being immersed in this film.
Watch “House of Gucci” in theaters now.
Featured Image courtesy of Wallpapersden
