Money Heist Season 3 (La Casa de Papel), which dropped on Netflix on Friday, picks up where season 2 left off, following the story of the gang of robbers who broke into the Royal Mint of Spain to execute the biggest heist in history.
The Spanish crime drama series created by Alex Pina, stars Úrsula Corberó (as Tokyo), Álvaro Morte (The Professor), Paco Tous (Moscow), Pedro Alonso (Berlin), Alba Flores (Nairobi), Miguel Herrán (Rio), Jaime Lorente (Denver), and Darko Peric (Helsinki).
The series begins in Season 1 with The Professor and his team breaking into the Royal Mint of Spain and taking 67 hostages to set up a standoff with the police as part of their daring plan to print and escape with 2.4 billion euros.
The robbers broke into the Royal Mint wearing Salvador Dali masks and red jump suit disguise. Although some viewers might have thought that the La Casa de Papel (The Paper House) costume was merely a casual choice to conceal the identities of the robbers, many fans recognized that the Salvador Dali mask and red jumpsuit were symbolic of the underlying anti-fascist theme of the series.
If you have been wondering why the robbers chose to wear the red jumpsuit and Salvador Dali mask disguise, here is everything you need to know.
What is the meaning of the Salvador Dali mask and red jumpsuit?
In Money Heist (La Casa de Papel) Season 3, Episode 1, The Professor (Alvaro Morte) reveals that he was inspired by “resistance and indignation” towards the capitalist system.
“The life of the Professor revolved around a single idea of Resistance,” Tokyo says in the series. “His grandfather, who had fought against the fascists in Italy, taught him the song and he taught us.”
In line with The Professor’s anti-fascist political ideology is the rendering of the Italian anti-fascist song Bella Ciao (Goodbye Beautiful) multiple times in the Money Heist series, especially in crucial moments, such as when the robbers successfully escaped from the Royal Mint.
Bella Ciao is an Italian folk song that originated in the 19th century among working class Italians protesting harsh conditions of life and work. The song was adopted as the anthem of the anti-fascist resistance.
Italian partisans who fought against Nazi occupation during World War II used the song. Different versions of the song continue to be popular across Europe, especially in France and Germany, and among anti-fascist groups.
One morning I awakened,
oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao! (Goodbye beautiful)
One morning I awakened
And I found the invader.Oh partisan carry me away,
oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao
oh partisan carry me away
Because I feel death approaching.And if I die as a partisan,
oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao
and if I die as a partisan
then you must bury me.Bury me up in the mountain,
oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao
bury me up in the mountain
under the shade of a beautiful flower.
The Salvador Dali mask recalls the famous Spanish artist known for his surrealist work and whose political beliefs influenced his artistic evolution. As a young man, Dali was a fiery radical who supported the Dada art movement that originated in Zurich in protest of modern capitalist society.
Dadaist art opposed militant nationalism and was closely allied with the radical left. Dali himself claimed to embrace anarchism and communism but in his later years, he appeared to have supported the authoritarian regime of General Francisco Franco.
The red jumpsuits of the La Casa de Papel robbers are consistent with the use of the color red by left wing movements, including anti-fascist, socialist and communist movements. An example is the Hammer and Sickle symbol that was used to represent proletarian solidarity during the Russian revolution.