Il 15 July of the 1997, twenty-three years ago, the fashion industry and the entertainment world had to face one of the most painful tragedies: the death of the famous Italian designer Gianni Versace.
He went to buy the newspaper and, on his return, two gunshots pierced his body on the steps of his home in Miami Beach. He was later pronounced dead at Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital.
Although more than twenty years have already passed since the tragic death, there are many questions left open and to which, probably, we will not have an answer. One series, however, attempts to put the pieces of the puzzle back together. We are talking about the second season of American Crime Story, entitled precisely The assassination of Gianni Versace.
Is it reality or not?
American Crime Story e Gianni Versace
American Crime Story is one anthological television series American and each season looks like one miniseries autonomous. Each of them narrates the events linked to a well-known legal case and crime news that had a strong impact on the American scenario.
The season is inspired by a particular book called The Versace Case: The story, the protagonists, the mystery, written by the famous journalist Maureen Orth. What we need to keep in mind is that this book is mainly based on gossip e gossip of the time, does not go to thoroughly analyze the whole affair.
The reviews about it are not positive but let's move on to the season of American Crime Story.
The series, from an external point of view and outside the theme addressed, is well done. Let's see a great cast, with Édgar Ramírez as Versace, Penélope Cruz as his sister Donatella and Ricky Martin as Versace's partner, Antonio d'Amico.
In addition there is also the star of Glee, Darrenn Criss as the killer Andrew Cunanan.
The actors do their best to honor the characters they play and they do great, especially Darrenn Criss and Miss Penélope Cruz, who plays the designer's sister divinely.
I didn't know the story very well so I admit that the series, at first glance, is it was very interesting. Within the story we find numerous flashbacks which act as a support to the viewer to better understand some events, such as the report between Versace and his killer.
They also help us understand the life of Cununan and how Versace has made the fashion industry its own. Although it was done very well, I still had several difficulties in understanding certain situations. Moreover, some episodes gave Cununan more space than Versace, the real protagonist.
However, I can say that I really appreciated the way in which the producers represent the fraternal relationship between Gianni and Donatella.
We see how much Gianni loved his sister and was willing to support her in any case. Then we see the pressure of the fashion industry on it.
They want her to live up to her brother and Donatella feels heavy. But he is always there, and he never ceases to highlight it. I really loved the episode in which Donatella, al Vogue's 100th anniversary in 1992, flaunts her original leather and metal dress.
There is something wrong
Now let's go and analyze what is true in this tv series. Curiosity is my best friend, you know, and for this reason I inquired. I started looking for articles on Versace, any comments from his family and I wanted to understand how involved the family had been in the series.
The answer? Disconcerting. First of all the series it has not been approved or authorized from the designer's family. The first to speak was his sister Donatella who stated that no member of the family has collaborated in the realization of this second season.
Furthermore, Miss Versace claims that the book on which the series is based, it does not represent reality in any way. And the same has been said about the series, the woman has indeed confirmed that this season is a work of fiction.
Another member of the Versace family who has called himself out of the series is the designer's companion: Antonio d'Amico. In addition to calling the series ridiculous, the man wanted to comment on a particular scene. This is the one in which Ricky Martin, who plays d'Amico, embraces Gianni's dying body.
D'Amico was considered offended by this representation, declaring that that fateful July 15, 1997 things went differently. The man revealed that that day he was on the veranda and while sipping a cup of coffee, he suddenly heard gunshots that petrified him.
Andrew Cununan, the assassin of Gianni Versace
D'Amico, however, continues to make some interesting statements. In the series we show that Andrew Cununan he is the murderer of Versace and he is like that in reality as well. In fact, the Miami police find the lifeless body of the man, apparently suicidal, on a houseboat in the bay.
Next to him they then found the same gun used to kill the stylist.
The series then shows us an important detail, namely the fact that murderer and victim knew each other. Since that moment, the designer has become a real obsession for the boy who, among many things, suffered from several mental disorders and felt repressed as gay.
Cununan was on the United States Most Wanted List and the FBI was looking for him. Before his death occurred on July 23 1997, the boy had already committed four murders before assassinating Versace.
This detail, this phantom meeting between the two actually never took place. Versace did not know his killer in the least, to say it is his partner Antonio. Furthermore, there are many theories regarding Cununan's death, according to some sources actually Cununan he was assassinated. We still don't know what the truth is.
If the two had actually met, I would say that the version represented in the series it would make sense. The killer suffered from mental disorders, including psychopathy and personality disorder, and Versace's rejection - in the series - had somehow upset him even more.
From what Antonio d'Amico said a few years ago, however, the two they never met in person. Now, the question that arises spontaneously is: if Gianni Versace did not know his killer, why did Cununan kill him?
I know it is foolish to ask such a thing. Why does a killer kill? Absurd, I know. However, I do not stop thinking that today we could still admire the creations of Versace, of that little boy who approached the world of fashion thanks tomother's atelier.
The icon of fashion, style and entertainment
Whether he died for a strange twist of fate or for a beautiful and good reason, unfortunately we will never know. The answers are far away, buried under rubble and dust. But the series manages to do an interesting thing, shed some light on creative genius by Gianni Versace.
Man was one of a kind. His art conquered thousands of people, the fashion and entertainment industry. Famous faces, like Elton John or the delightful Lady Diana, loved hers creations, Its strong sense of style,elegance of Versace.
They were his dear friends and his death brought an intense veil of sadness into their life and into the world.
Many models, then, owe their fame to him. Each of them had the fortune and the honor to dress the clothes of the Italian designer including Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell and Carla Bruni.
Versace led fantasy e freedom in the world of fashion. He allowed the public to know and appreciate him as he was, proud of himself and his art. The designer has reinvented the world of fashion and he made it his.
That July 15, 1997, that damned day, the world lost something big, unique and will never get back.
TagsAmerican Crime Story Donatella Versace Gianni Versace The Assassination of Gianni Versace The July 15 of the assassination of Gianni Versace, reality or fiction?
