ABSTRACT
Traumatic events ultimately refuse to be put away. One of the most striking aspects of contemporary cultural—and especially cinematic—attempts to work through the trauma of the anni di piombo is the persistently and disproportionately high visibility given to the figure of the female terrorist. The years between the 20th and the 25th anniversaries of the Aldo Moro affair bear tragic witness to Antonio Negri's prescience with regard to the persistence of the trauma in contemporary culture. Most significant way in which Buongiorno, notte differs from Il prigioniero is in the introduction of an oneiric and fantastical narrative in which Moro, realizing that a woman is present among his captors. Moro appeals to her capacity for emotion and humanity with the result that he is freed. The soft, suffused lighting in which Moro is bathed contrasts notably with the lighting of his captors and alludes to the blamelessness and greater humanity of Moro as sacrificial victim.
