Mediterrane Film Festival 2025: The Theft of the Caravaggio
Surprisingly poignant, The Theft of the Caravaggio is an ambitious cinematic piece. Filmed at the heart of where the real event took place – at St John’s Co-Cathedral, Malta – Joshua Cassar Gaspar’s debut feature recounts a fictionalised version of the infamous heist that occurred in 1984. It follows Orpheus, a priest torn between his calling and his deep love for his family abroad. His struggles with his ailing sister, whom he cannot see in person, and the unsavoury corruption surrounding his church, coincide with the sudden disappearance of a painting by Italian artist Caravaggio. As he aids the police in their investigation, his personal life starts to unravel, and the audience is taken on a journey of intense and shocking discoveries. Structured in an oscillating narrative to drum up suspense and heighten the mystery for viewers, The Theft of the Caravaggio explores themes of family and what a person chooses to do with the time they have left on Earth.
Gaspar’s most impressive feat is how he pieces together the different clues that lead up to the final twist. He embeds context clues through parallelism and in the motifs of mirrors, religious imagery and theatrical techniques to untangle the web of plot threads, scenes and flashbacks. He highlights the deceit of the characters and the truth surrounding the stolen artwork, playing with the audience’s perspective to further the uncertainty and anxiety they may feel towards Orpheus and the strange circumstances he finds himself in. The visuals also help in this regard. Shot using 35mm film, the aesthetics lend themselves to the style of 1980s movies. This is especially noticeable in the editing with the lingering shots and cross-fade transitions. Beyond that, production utilises the location to celebrate the beauty in the sights and scenery of Malta, as well as aid in storytelling. There’s a specific focus on natural lighting and shadows, which exudes an air of extravagance, and amplifies the confusion between reality and everything Orpheus experiences.
The feature does, at times, lean into an overindulgent script and expository dialogue, talking the viewers through the various revelations and explaining the significance of the art pieces to the overall plot. This is a contentious element that undermines the symbolic effect set up by the visuals. An example of this is the psychological factor in the interactions of Hades and Orpheus. From the names and their references to Greek mythology, the audience can understand that the artistic monologues exchanged between the two play a role in unveiling the deception behind the heist. However, the script and its tendency to overexplain leave little room for open interpretation. Fortunately, the actors anchor this dynamic with decent performances. There’s duality in Robert Grose’s portrayal of Hades: detached and calculated, but with the added softness that supports the later reveal. Paul Kissaun is charismatic and magnetic as Orpheus, a sound reflection of the juxtaposition in human beings: who they are and how this contrasts with the things that they do.
The Theft of the Caravaggio is interesting with its multifaceted layers of story to unravel, and the twists and turns are fascinating to follow. The introspective dissection of human behaviour in connection to love, time and purpose is an intriguing subject to explore, and the visuals support the metaphorical journeys that Orpheus embarks on. It’s a promising, albeit not faultless, start for Gaspar’s directorial career.
Mae Trumata
The Theft of the Caravaggio does not have a release date yet.
Watch the trailer for The Theft of the Caravaggio here:
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