Naman Shrestha
Under the direction of Stefano Sollima, who also co-wrote the screenplay, ‘Adagio’ is an Italian crime drama movie that serves as the final installment of the director’s trilogy about Roman crime after ‘All Cops Are Bastards’ and ‘Suburra.’ The narrative follows a 16-year-old man named Manuel, who takes care of his demented father. Trying to enjoy life despite all the ups and downs in his life, he ends up getting blackmailed into taking photos of a mysterious individual at a party.
However, when Manuel feels that he is drugged at the party, he decides to abort the mission and escape. Soon, he finds out that the blackmailers are dangerous and are out to get him as they see him as a witness. Now, Manuel must take the help of two former criminals, who are old acquaintances of his father. Led by a few Italian A-listers, including Pierfrancesco Favino, Toni Servillo, Valerio Mastandrea, and Adriano Giannini, the story of ‘Adagio’ unfolds in Rome, which is under the threat of a deadly fire that can engulf the city in flames.
Adagio Filming Locations
‘Adagio’ was primarily filmed in its entirety in Italy, especially in and around Rome. Principal photography for the action film got underway on September 5, 2022, and continued for a few months before seemingly wrapping up by the end of the same year. Looking back on the experience of filming the movie, Gianmarco Franchini posted on social media, “It was a fantastic experience for me to be directed by Stefano and an honor to have taken part in this film alongside Pierfrancesco Favino, Toni Servillo, Valerio Mastandrea, Adriano Giannini, Francesco di Leva, Lorenzo Adorni, Silvia Salvatori.”
Rome, Italy
The production team took over the capital of Italy, Rome, to shoot all the pivotal sequences of ‘Adagio,’ both interiors and exteriors. While a majority of outdoor scenes were taped on location in different neighborhoods and streets across the city, it is highly likely that several indoor portions were lensed in a soundstage of one of the film studios located in and around Rome. In an interview with Variety, the Italian filmmaker Stefano Sollima was asked to elaborate on the tonal choices he and the cinematographer made for the movie.
Stefano explained, “…In terms of the tone, the other thing we decided with set designer Paki Meduri is to set the film in Rome but to depict a Rome that hasn’t been seen much on screen before. Rome is often represented in cinema either by its great historical monuments and piazzas or by its quasi-Pasolini-like periphery. We decided this movie should be set in everyday Rome, where people move around a lot. So I thought: ‘Let’s depict Rome, but as though it was L.A.'”
There are several reasons why Rome is known to be a suitable production location. For instance, it is home to Cinecittà Studios, the largest film studio in Europe and considered the hub of Italian cinema. Besides that, the capital’s weather remains warm, making the filming experience quite convenient and comfortable for all the cast and crew members. Apart from enjoying the gripping storyline, the viewers also tend to notice the backdrop that might consist of several popular Italian sites, such as the Colosseum, Saint Peter’s Basilica, Castel Sant’Angelo, the Piazza della Rotonda, and the Victor Emmanuel II Monument.
Situated in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, Rome has hosted the production of many movies and TV shows over the years, mainly thanks to the factors mentioned above. Besides ‘Adagio,’ its locales can be spotted in ‘Van Helsing,’ ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith,’ ‘American Assassin,’ and ‘Rome.’
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