There has been a lot of talk about Nicollo Machiavelli lately, 
namely because of the independent film Machiavelli Hangman that 
has a plot based on his writings. Machiavelli was a philosopher 
in the 16th century and a political theorist that many believed 
for a very long time to be the human reincarnation of Satan. His 
book the Prince has always lead audiences to question the origins 
of the main character. Many critics and historians believe that 
the prince actually refers to the prince of darkness.

Machiavelli argued that men have to focus on success regardless 
of whether achieving that success will have to go against 
principal values and morals. This among other doctrines earned 
Machiavelli an image of cruelty and evil.
 
Although this may seem a dark and politically charged subject, 
the film Machiavelli Hangman is anything but. The script by 
independent filmmaker Shervin Youssefian fills the world of 
Machiavelli with a sharp wit and sense of humor that turns the 
film into a work that is very reminiscent of the fresh earlier 
works of Woody Allen. The dialogue competes with Quentin 
Tarantino's best; the cast is superb as if the characters 
were written precisely with them in mind.
 
For those of you who may be familiar with Machiavellian 
philosophy, you will be pleasantly surprised at the hints that 
the filmmakers have left behind in the search of the Italian 
devil. For those of you who have never heard of Machiavelli, this 
movie will be equally entertaining because it has such freshness 
in its presentation that it sizzles. 
 
Being a great fan of history books, one might expect to be 
bombarded by a lot of information a la JFK directed brilliantly 
by Oliver Stone. However, Machiavelli Hangman is a 
ride for the senses and less for the mind. It lets the 
imagination roar but it does  so while sitting back and in 
such a relaxed way that the audience is not pressed to make 
sense of everything. 
 
The filmmakers also do not give away the rewards; instead, they 
let the audience put the pieces of the puzzle together for 
themselves. That is the main reward of the film; its ability to 
involve the audience and let the viewer feel in control of the 
fun zigzagging of the film.

While Nicollo Machiavelli is present in spirit throughout the 
whole film, his doctrines and teachings do not overwhelm a film 
that is over wise intended to appeal to large audiences, old and 
young. It welcomes people with background knowledge of the prince 
and those without it, and most importantly it satisfies everyone 
with a love for great filmmaking. 

Trudy Washington is a movie reviewer. 
Machiavelli Hangman 
http://www.hangmanmovie.com