Palio

Dir: Cosima Spender

2015

*****

Since medieval times, the city of Siena has hosted the now infamous Palio horse race. The race is held twice a year, first on the 2nd of July (Pailio di Provenzano, named in honour of the Madonna of Provenzano, a 14th-century terracotta icon of the Madonna that was said to perform miracles) and the 16th August (Palio dell'Assunta, named in honour of the Assumption of Mary). There are seventeen districts of Siena (known as Contrade) and when the Grand Duke of Tuscany outlawed Bullfighting in 1590, the Contrade focused on horse racing in the Piazza del Campo and it took off from there and has become a huge part of the area's culture and competitive tradition. However, it is far more than a simple horse race. It's actually rather complicated, as Cosima Spender's brilliant documentary explains. Each Contrade hires a jockey, these jockeys are not necessarily from the district they race for, they are seen as mercenaries and are loved and hated in equal measure. Many argue that it is all about the horses. Horses are determined by a lottery, the jockeys are then decided based on the horse as many of the jockeys train and ride them regularly. The jockeys also openly bribe each other before each race, sometimes to fix the starting position and sometimes to whack the jockey next to them with his whip. As recently as the 1980's, losing jockeys would be pulled off their horses by the crowds and beaten in the street. If a horse wins first time he is disqualified for life for being too good. Only through mediocrity and a level playing field can the bribery take place. Cosima Spender's documentary isn't an undercover exposé, the bribery and doping of the horses is common knowledge and all part of the race. Spender's documentary purely, and quite sensibly, tells it like it is. The viewer is then left to question the morals, ethics and culturalisms. I found it to be rather confusing how the dubious behaviour is so accepted, even celebrated, when there are so many religious connotations attached to it. The winner of the August race is carried by the crowd to the city's cathedral as the ultimate reward and each horse is lead into each district's church to be blessed by the Priest who asks God to let it win the race. The race is almost a religion unto itself, making the whole thing a little blasphemous one would think? This lapsed catholic isn't going into that one, so I shall digress. It's a beautiful and somewhat senseless wonder, I love Mediterranean countries and their often ridiculous but romantic traditions. The race has been a focus of animal rights activists for some time, it's clear to see why but this documentary isn't about that, the viewer is free to make up their mind, the event is subject enough and Spender never once muddies the water. When the film isn't fascinating, it is intense and thrilling, much more so than you'd expect from a documentary.