Beautiful Rebel chronicles the career of Italian singer-songwriter Gianna Nannini. The film is now streaming on Netflix.
Warning: This article contains heavy spoilers
Plot summary
Gianna Nannini grows up groomed by her father to become a tennis player. However, her love for singing pushes her to revolt against her father, who won’t support her musical aspirations.
As Gianna grows up, she begins taking big steps to pursue her dreams over her father’s by selling her tennis racket to pay for her singing lessons.
Gianna blackmails her father and persuades him to let her work at his bakery so that she can make money and go to Milan.
Without saying any goodbyes, Gianna goes to Milan, where she makes new friends in the form of Tina and Romina, who think music is her destiny.
Tina helps Gianna get a piano that can help her rehearse. Tina gives Gianna her good-luck charm on the day of an audition.
Gianna is selected but is not happy with how her managers want to transform her into someone else. Gianna loses Tina’s good luck charm and comes back home to find her dead.
Gianna eventually finds a gig at a restaurant, which she loses when one day she comes drunk to perform her song “Dead by Self-Inflicted Abortion.”
Katia, the woman who took care of Tina and gave Gianna a piano to rehearse, works as a cleaner at Ricordi, a music label.
She helps her get an appointment with Mara Maionchi, a record producer who hears Gianna’s song and hires her, giving Gianna her first album.
Two records out, Gianna still cannot make a name for herself. Mara explains that the people are demanding a change of sound, leading Gianna to turn to rock music.
During her time in Milan, Gianna dates a girl named Carla, whom Gianna calls Eleven, with whom she has her ups and downs. Gianna also gets involved with a photographer named Marc, who introduces her to drugs.
Meanwhile, Gianna keeps finding herself in a battle against the industry, who want to shape and present her the way they want.
Mara calls Gianna out for unprofessional behavior and gives her a reality check. Mara quits working at Ricordi, leaving Gianna in a difficult situation.
Gianna sees Carla kissing someone else. A depressed Gianna turns to drugs. However, Carla returns to comfort Gianna.
Carla explains to Gianna that she doesn’t need drugs for courage. When Gianna claims that she has plenty of courage, Carla flushes out her drugs.
After this confrontation, Gianna visits her record label and demands the number of David Roger Kranz, who can be her new manager.
David Roger hears Gianna’s song and agrees to be her manager. He introduces her to Conny Plank, who will record her.
David Roger is willing to give Gianna a chance to make her own music and be the producer of her next album. They will have Ricordi as the distributor.
Gianna will also need money. So they will be borrowing it from Ricordi. However, the record needs to be hit, or else Gianna will have to pay Ricordi back.
Ending explained:
Gianna’s downfall
While David Roger gives Gianna a lovely crew to work with, Gianna struggles to write and record new music. Money, on the other hand, keeps running out.
Gianna attempts to win Carla back, promising her that she has given up on coke, only to fail. A heartbroken Gianna gets into a car accident.
Gianna has a psychosis of the hallucinatory type. The drugs make Gianna see Marc, who misguides her. Gianna finds herself hallucinating and distracted from work.
David Roger takes Gianna back to her parents. Gianna’s father is there for his daughter at her lowest, and so is Carla.
Gianna’s return
Gianna recovers in the care of her family and Carla. Once Gianna is back to her normal self, Roger thinks she is ready.
However, Gianna fears that her voice won’t come out. Conny visits her and assures her that, after everything she has been through, she doesn’t need to be afraid. For real musicians like them, only music exists.
At her first show since recovering, Gianna struggles to keep herself together. Carla tries to convince Roger that Gianna is probably not ready.
Roger forces them to put Gianna on the stage. Even though Gianna is afraid, her voice does come out, and she delivers a great show.
Bidding her father goodbye
Following her successful return, Gianna is reborn as she continues to deliver hits. She visits her father, who is in a critical condition.
Gianna’s father admits that if it hadn’t been for her and her music, their name would have been worthless. Even though he has done a lot of wrong things in life, he is sure that he did one thing right: it’s Gianna.
Gianna sings for her father at his funeral. She continues to be the star she is. Footage of the real Gianna Nannini’s performances closes the film.
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