Hellraiser
The opening scene of the film is a flow push in on Andreotti in the far distance with only a single table lamp lighting his face. As the camera moves into a close up on him he has acupuncture needles all over his head and face and he appears as the title character to the Hellraiser movies. The imagery immediately reveals he is in pain and it's as if he is one with the pain as it motivates him.
Deaths
We watch a series of deaths happen in the early stage of the film in multiple different ways. The imagery shows that Andreotti's story is plagued with murder--planned to eliminate specific targets along the journey of his time in office as Prime Minister of Italy.
Armed
We see sacred art in the form of a sculpture of a woman holding up the cross of Christ as the camera enters a cathedral where Andreotti has come to confess. The camera then pans up to reveal a guard carrying an automatic weapon into the sanctuary. The imagery creates a stark contrast between the religion that is so clearly connected to politics in Italy as well as the violence.
Christian Democrats
Sorrentino introduces the audience to the Christian Democrats, specifically Andreotti's inner circle faction, in a way that makes them appear as gangsters more so than men who are seeking to shape policy for the people of Italy.
