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The Big Fake
Movie

The Big Fake

2026 • Drama, History

Woke Score
3
out of 10

Plot

Rome, 1970s. When Toni arrives in the city with the dream of becoming a great artist. But his hunger for life, destiny and perhaps even History will lead him to become the greatest of all forgers.

Overall Series Review

The Italian film "The Big Fake" (Il falsario) details the life of Antonio "Toni" Chichiarelli, a highly skilled forger who becomes entangled with the political and criminal underworld of Rome during the 1970s "Years of Lead". The narrative is a cynical look at one man's pursuit of wealth and fame through deception, positioning his personal ambition above political or moral integrity. Toni's journey is one of moral descent, beginning as an artist from a pastoral, small-town setting and transforming into a key player in high-stakes crime, including forging propaganda during the Aldo Moro kidnapping crisis. The film focuses on the thin line between an original work of art and a counterfeit, mirroring the lack of authenticity in the protagonist's life and the political landscape. The themes center on greed, personal corruption, and the turbulent nature of Italian society at the time, without relying on the typical progressive narratives seen in much of modern media.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics2/10

The movie is a period piece focused on an Italian historical figure and political crimes in 1970s Rome, featuring an entirely ethnically Italian cast. The main character is a white male anti-hero, whose crimes are driven by personal ambition and amorality, not a critique of his 'whiteness' or forced diversity casting. Character conflict revolves around criminal and political self-interest, not intersectional hierarchy or systemic oppression based on immutable characteristics. The narrative applies a universal lens to individual corruption.

Oikophobia5/10

The film heavily focuses on the corruption and turbulence of Italian political and criminal life during the 'Years of Lead'. The protagonist rejects the political/national ideological divide, stating 'I don't give a f**k about colors. I'm for whoever helps me live well,' which is an embrace of nihilistic self-interest over civilizational allegiance. This depiction of the nation's institutions as fundamentally compromised moves the score up, as it showcases the home culture as deeply corrupt, though it does not explicitly demonize ancestors or promote a 'Noble Savage' trope.

Feminism3/10

The core narrative follows the male lead, Toni. His romantic partner, Donata, is an active and competent participant in the art forgery business, introducing him to the lucrative criminal venture. She is a competent operator but functions as a partner and love interest to the male protagonist, not a 'Mary Sue' who exists to emasculate men. The narrative frames the threat of losing his 'love and his child' as a serious consequence of Toni's actions, which implicitly values the family unit and is antithetical to an anti-natalist message.

LGBTQ+1/10

The plot focuses entirely on crime, political turmoil, art forgery, and the heterosexual relationship between Toni and Donata. There is no information or commentary suggesting the inclusion of alternative sexualities, the centering of sexual identity, or any discourse on gender theory. The traditional male-female pairing and potential nuclear family are presented as the normative domestic structure that is put at risk by his criminal life.

Anti-Theism5/10

The main character, Toni, is a moral relativist whose life's ambition is based on the subjective value of a fake—he is explicitly driven by personal gain over any ethical or higher moral law. This strongly aligns with the 'Morality is subjective' principle of a high score. However, one of Toni's close childhood friends is a priest, and the narrative uses this friend as a moral counterpoint from the protagonist's lost innocence, which is not an outright vilification of a Christian character. The central villain is political/criminal corruption, not traditional religion.