This House Of Gucci Comment Will Change How You See The Ending
Spoilers ahead for "House of Gucci."
Director Ridley Scott's latest big-screen tale, "House of Gucci," is the second project to feature the behind-the-scenes madness of the fashion world this year, following director-producer Ryan Murphy's "Halston." While the Netflix limited series, starring Ewan McGregor in the titular role, mirrors "House of Gucci" in many ways — including the decadence of the principal players as well as their inevitable rise and fall — Scott's fact-based film takes the narrative a step further with a high-profile murder near the conclusion of the film.
Released in theaters on November 24, "House of Gucci" stars Lady Gaga as Patrizia Reggiani, an outsider whose humble beginnings beguile Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver). Patrizia ascends into Italian high society when she marries the fashion heir despite the rejection of his father, Rodolpho (Jeremy Irons). As the owner of one-half of the esteemed Gucci fashion brand, Rodolpho disowns Maurizio. Patrizia's persuasive ways help her enchant Aldo Gucci (Al Pacino) to the point where his nephew and questionable bride become part of the family empire. After years of excess, deceit, and betrayal, an enraged Patrizia and her personal astrologer, Pina Auriemma (Salma Hayek), plot Maurizio's murder.
However, as "House of Gucci" co-writer Roberto Bentivegna reveals, the approach to crafting these jaw-dropping events in the final act will give audiences new insight into the movie's ending.
This House of Gucci co-writer imagines Patrizia dies — in a metaphorical sense
In a recent interview with EW, Roberto Bentivegna, who co-wrote the "House of Gucci" script with Becky Johnston, explained there was an intention to frame the deadly conclusion in a way to imply "two deaths" happened, even though one of them was metaphorical. He referred to two key scenes in the film: where Patrizia (Lady Gaga) submerges herself underwater while bathing, and the fateful scene where Maurizio (Adam Driver) is gunned down on the steps of his office in Milan, Italy, on March 27, 1995.
"I thought it was a death, but it's actually two deaths. When Patrizia knows that Maurizio is about to die, I think she dies a little bit inside, too," Bentivegna described, going on to say he imagined the sequence as "an intercutting between those two moments: Maurizio being murdered and Patrizia in the bathtub, discovering what she'd done and not being able to turn back."
In 1998, the gunman in the case was convicted of Gucci's murder, and Reggiani, Auriemma, and the gunman's driver were convicted for their roles in the crime. Reggiani was convicted of premeditated murder and sentenced to 29 years in prison for her role in the plot. She was released 18 years later with 11 years reduced from the sentence for good behavior, according to Time.
Per the outlet, Reggiani is now working as a consultant for a jewelry company in Milan. As for her thoughts on "House of Gucci," she expressed her displeasure with Lady Gaga in an interview with the Italian wire service ANSA (via Time): "I am rather annoyed at the fact that Lady Gaga is playing me in the new Ridley Scott film without having had the consideration and sensibility to come and meet me."
"House of Gucci" is now playing in theaters.