Tale of Tales is on the surface about mystery.

My overseas adventure today was watching a mystery: the Italian, English-speaking Tale of Tales (2015).

This film takes you through three mysterious, unusual stories involving decadent medieval kings and queens and their humble servants, in a tone of humor, fantasy, nightmare, and of course mystery.

Mystery in the world

The film starts with a mysterious, black robed visitor, to a royal castle. He has an offer, free of charge, for the eloquent King and Queen.

If the King and Queen take the offer, we fear the decision may lead to unfathomable and unexplainable consequences, perhaps even deadly events may befall them.

Why the visitor appears and changes the course of the King and Queen’s lives is something we don’t understand, but accept.

Another source for a mystery involves the story of two sisters, who are suspected witches.

A mysterious figure enters a sister’s life for only a few moments, but who has an indelible effect on her life.

Sound familiar? Life can throw us those strangely mysterious moments.

The theme of submission to the authority is taken to the extreme in the story of a father and daughter, which, though tragic, is the most human of the three stories.

The unusual part of this story is a mystery: why the king keeps a flea as a pet that grows bigger than an overfed cat.

His obsession recalls our pet obsessions and desires, but who knows why people become narrowly focused on seemingly insignificant or trivial things.  Maybe those things aren’t.

Fascinating but beguiling

Tale of Tales illuminates the idiosyncrasies and unknowns of existence.

This film may make you ponder the oft-repeated question, why, in the small and big things of life.

Science may explain some of those marvels, but experiencing those things remains. Not knowing does not necessarily make life any better or worse. Though a fascinating but beguiling exercise, maybe it’s best not to ponder those mysteries for too long.

Warnings—sex scenes and nudity; violence and horror; Rated R

Notes: Starring: Salma Hayek, Vincent Cassel, Toby Jones, Loosely based on the Giambattista Basile stories, Directed by Matteo Garrone (Feature films directed by Matteo Garrone: Land in Between, 1996; Guests, 1998; Roman Summer, 2000; The Embalmer, 2002; First Love, 2004; Gomorrah, 2008; Reality, 2012)