Have you just watched "House of Gucci" and got lost in the complex Gucci family feud? In this article, we'll talk what is 'House of Gucci' about, the real characters involved in the movie and how to watch it like a true fashionista!
Warning: spoilers below!
How to Watch House of Gucci To Fully Get It
First of all, the beginning of the movie is set in 1978. Here's what you need to know about the Gucci family timeline to understand what happens next.
Gucci was incorporated in 1921 by Guccio Gucci. The brand was initially established as a leather goods and luggage store for wealthy people. Guccio headed the company through World War II and died in 1953.
Guccio Gucci had 4 sons, Vasco, Aldo, Enzo (died at 9) and Rodolfo, and one daughter, Grimalda. The movie only shows Aldo and Rodolfo participating in the business.
Aldo (Al Pacino) was the eldest and he was engaged in the business since he was 20. He was the one who opened the second Gucci store (Rome), and initiated the international expansion of the brand, opening the first Gucci store outside Italy in New York.
After Vasco Gucci died in 1974, Rodolfo and Aldo divided the business between themselves 50/50. However, as Aldo continued to expand the business in the US, Aldo set up a perfume subsidiary where he held 80 percent of its ownership.
Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver) was the only son of Rodolfo, so he was the heir to a 50% interest in the Gucci fashion house through his father Rodolfo. Aldo had 3 sons, but the movie only focuses on Paolo (Jared Leto).
If you're interested in learning more about the Gucci history, check out the "Gucci: The Making Of" book review.
"House of Gucci" plot
The movie is set in 1978. Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga), a young office manager working in her father's trucking firm, meets Maurizio Gucci at a party. After learning that the young man comes from the powerful Gucci family, Patrizia aggressively pursues Maurizio, and they fall in love. They eventually get married, but Maurizio's father Rodolfo disapproves of Patrizia and threatens to disown him if he goes through with the marriage.
Patricia devises a plan to become a part of the Gucci family, even though Maurizio is not excited about the perspective. As Rodolfo is still angry with Maurizio, she sees as opportunity and tries to approach Aldo. The couple moves to New York to the apartment Rodolfo gives them as a wedding present and starts helping Aldo in the business.
Before Rodolfo dies, he reconciles with Maurizio, writing him back to his will. The will is, however, missing his signature. Patricia forges the signature, and as a result Maurizio gets a 50% interest in Gucci.
Aldo is dismissing the exclusivity of the brand, secretly creating replicas of his own Gucci products to be sold on black markets to boost the brand's popularity. Her also places Gucci in malls and airports. When Patricia argues that it will damage the brand, Aldo states that Gucci is what he decides it to be. At this moment, Patricia devises a plot to obtain controlling interest in Gucci.
Paolo has documents proving that his father Aldo has been evading taxes in the US and he gives the papers to Patricia in exchange for a permission to release his own collection. As a result, Algo is arrested and sentenced to a year in prison.
As the agreement about the Paolo's collection release was verbal, Patricia contacts the police and tells them Paolo doesn't have the permission to use the Gucci trademark. The police stops the fashion show. When Patricia and Maurizio offer Paolo to buy out shares, he refuses and cuts ties with them.
With Aldo in prison and Paolo devastated, Maurizio takes control of the Gucci fashion house. Even though the police learns that Rodolfo's signature was forged, and they try to arrest Maurizio, his family flees to Switzerland. That was one thing I did not really get from the movie, as it's not clear how and when he was able to return to Italy.
When Aldo returns from prison, Maurizio finds a equity company and devises a plot to buy out the Gucci shares from Aldo and Paolo. At first they reject the offer, but as soon as they learn he's been behind the scheme all the time, they agree to the deal to fully cut the contact with Gucci.
Over time, Maurizio becomes increasingly distant from Patrizia. In 1995, after 12 years of marriage, Maurizio leaves Patrizia for another woman. Patrizia is devastated and ultimately arranges for Maurizio's murder.
Whi Maurizio was in charge of the company, Gucci was hit by a difficult retail market in the early ‘90s, which led to the transfer of all of his remaining 50% shares to Investcorp in 1993, ending the family’s involvement in the firm.
In 1994 Tom Ford was appointed creative director. His first collection, for fall 1995, focused on jet-set glamour and was a critical and commercial success, putting the label back at the forefront of fashion.
On March 27, 1995, Maurizio Gucci was gunned down in front of his office in Milan. His ex-wife Patricia was sentenced to 29 years in prison.
In 2016, Patricia Reggiano was released after serving 16 years in prison.
Eventually, "House of Gucci" covers the story on how members of the Gucci family lost control over their business. They were only able to keep the company for three generations and were forced to sell the business due to unstoppable family feud.
My Review of the House of Gucci
The case was the reason I started watching this movie anyway. Lady Gaga was fantastically convincing as gold-digging Patricia Reggiano, and even her real prototype praised her performance. I really loved Al Pacino's representation of Aldo Gucci, which was spot-on and precise.
"House of Gucci" is one of those movies where there are no good old heroes. You hardly sympathize any of the characters in the feud as everyone has their own vice. This makes the ending very logical.
One thing I hated about the film was the music. I'm not sure why it was such a big issue. All I expected were some good 80s song covers from Lady Gaga, however, most of the songs were relatively new, like the Italian translation of "I'm a believer". They should've definitely invited someone like James Gunn to help with the soundtrack.
Another thing that stood out to me is the motivation of the primary character. After all, it was not clear what truly motivated Patricia. She was initially after Maurizio's money, but at some point she got everything she ever wanted. Why try to start a war in the family and set Paolo up when he was literally no danger at all? What did she want in the end?
It might seem like she wanted power, and that desire was the root of her bitter disappointment with Maurizio that made her hire a hitman.
When Did "House of Gucci" Come Out?
"House of Gucci" premiered on November 9, 2021 in London. The US release date was set to be November 24, 2021.
Is "House of Gucci" a True Story?
"House of Gucci" is indeed based on a true story, which means all characters were created after real people with minor alterations. However, the Gucci family was not involved in the film production. The movie faced backlash from them, as they issued a statement:
"Although the film claims to tell the 'true story' of the family, the narrative is anything but accurate, depicting Aldo Gucci — president of the company for 30 years — and other members of the Gucci family who were the protagonists of well-documented events, as hooligans, ignorant and insensitive to the world around them."
Interesting facts and details
- During his meeting with Maurizio and Patrizia, Rodolfo Gucci mentions that he used to be an actor. He appeared in over 40 films, mostly in the 1930-40s. Moreover, his prototype Rodolfo Gucci named his only son after his stage name Maurizio Anchora.
- When Paolo visits Rodolfo to show him the designs, at the end of the meeting Paolo notices the Flora scarf. The Flora scarf was designed in 1966 by Rodolfo Gucci for Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco, who was Gucci's customer at that time. In the movie, Paolo later pees on it.
- Salma Hayek is married to Francois-Henry Pino, founder and director of Kering, a fashion management corporation that acquired Gucci in 2021.
Summary: Is "House Of Gucci" Good?
While that's definitely not the best movie from Ridley Scott, it's a must-watch for fashion lovers. At least, the Lady Gaga and Adam Driver duo will keep you entertained. What do you think about this movie?
