A New Series About Mussolini Captures the Performance Behind Fascism

Joe Wright's "Mussolini: Son of the Century" strips away the mystique to show authoritarianism as calculated spectacle. #sponsored

Early in Joe Wright's Mussolini: Son of the Century, there's a moment where Luca Marinelli stands before a mirror, practicing the jutted jaw, the theatrical scowl, the precise angle at which to hold his head that became the fascist leader’s trademarks. The eight-episode series, directed by Wright (Atonement, Darkest Hour, Pride & Prejudice) and based on…