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Mafioso (Alberto Lattuada, 1962)
This is a rather low-key Italian satire, starring Alberto Soldi (from one of my fave NON-DVD releases, The Best of Enemies), as Antonio, a Sicilian who has made a name for himself in Northern Italy's Milan. He married a beautiful wife (Norma Bengell), has two daughters, and is well-respected at his job in an enormous factory (which seems oddly cinematic). However, his family has never met his new family, so this is a specific satire on how Italians thought of each other in the early 1960s. For example, Antonio's wife initially feels like she's in a foreign country, and his parents think that she thinks she's too good for them. The film also comments, quite potently, on the concept of why Sicily is the "Land of Honor", why most Sicilan men seem to die or get maimed by gunshots, and what their concept of the Family is.
Lattuada's well-assured direction allows all the subtle humor and wonderful plot twists to play out naturally. The dynamics of all the characters' relationships develop at a nice pace. Part of what makes the film so interesting and entertaining is that it gives you an honest way to get into the Mob. It tears away a little bit of its mystique while adding some other layers. I especially love the way that the film seems to be about one thing and then turns into something completely different. Antonio seems to be having too much fun on his trip to realize what he's getting into, but even when he does, his good Sicilian upbringing kicks in, and he agrees to do a "small favor" for his hometown's Godfather (Ugo Attanasio).
I love Alberto Soldi (his eyes remind me of Gene Wilder), and it contains his best performance which I've seen. He also reminds me a lot of me; he's the "middle-man" who has to try to deal with "everybody else" and keep them happy. I mean, it's edifying when it works, but it sucks when it's one of those no-win crapfests. One other thing: the film's final section is completely different than everything which comes before it, yet when the film ends, it seems like that was the only way for this refreshing film to tell its story.
This is a rather low-key Italian satire, starring Alberto Soldi (from one of my fave NON-DVD releases, The Best of Enemies), as Antonio, a Sicilian who has made a name for himself in Northern Italy's Milan. He married a beautiful wife (Norma Bengell), has two daughters, and is well-respected at his job in an enormous factory (which seems oddly cinematic). However, his family has never met his new family, so this is a specific satire on how Italians thought of each other in the early 1960s. For example, Antonio's wife initially feels like she's in a foreign country, and his parents think that she thinks she's too good for them. The film also comments, quite potently, on the concept of why Sicily is the "Land of Honor", why most Sicilan men seem to die or get maimed by gunshots, and what their concept of the Family is.
Lattuada's well-assured direction allows all the subtle humor and wonderful plot twists to play out naturally. The dynamics of all the characters' relationships develop at a nice pace. Part of what makes the film so interesting and entertaining is that it gives you an honest way to get into the Mob. It tears away a little bit of its mystique while adding some other layers. I especially love the way that the film seems to be about one thing and then turns into something completely different. Antonio seems to be having too much fun on his trip to realize what he's getting into, but even when he does, his good Sicilian upbringing kicks in, and he agrees to do a "small favor" for his hometown's Godfather (Ugo Attanasio).
I love Alberto Soldi (his eyes remind me of Gene Wilder), and it contains his best performance which I've seen. He also reminds me a lot of me; he's the "middle-man" who has to try to deal with "everybody else" and keep them happy. I mean, it's edifying when it works, but it sucks when it's one of those no-win crapfests. One other thing: the film's final section is completely different than everything which comes before it, yet when the film ends, it seems like that was the only way for this refreshing film to tell its story.