La sfida (1958)

Vito Polara (Suarez)is ambitious and wants to get as more power and money as possible. He decides to leave the cigarette smuggling and try to get the total control of the regional fruit and... See full summary »

Director:

Francesco Rosi

Writers:

Suso Cecchi D'Amico (screenplay), Suso Cecchi D'Amico (story),

Stars:

José Suárez, Rosanna Schiaffino, Nino Vingelli

4 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
José Suárez	...	Vito Polara
Rosanna Schiaffino	...	Assunta
Nino Vingelli	...	Gennaro
Decimo Cristiani	...	Salvatore Ajello
José Jaspe	...	Raffaele
Tina Castigliano	...	Madre di Vito
Pasquale Cennamo	...	Fernando Ajello
Elsa Valentino Ascoli	...	Madre di Assunta
Ubaldo Granata	...	Califano
Ezio Vergari	...	Antonio
Concetta Petito
Rosita Pisano
Elsa Fiore
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Angela Luce
Lia Thomas

Storyline

Vito Polara (Suarez)is ambitious and wants to get as more power and money as possible. He decides to leave the cigarette smuggling and try to get the total control of the regional fruit and vegetable distribution considered more profitable. He looks for the help of a rural crime Boss. He sets up a challenge to the local Camorra (Neapolitan Mafia) chieftains that could show soon who is the real powerful Boss.

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Plot Keywords:

camorra | smuggling | mafia don | napoli italy | napoli

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Italy Spain

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

6 September 1958 (Italy)

Also Known As:

The Challenge

Filming Locations:

Naples, Campania, Italy

Box Office

Gross:

ESP 3,721,057 (Spain)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinecittà, Lux Film, Suevia Films - Cesáreo González

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in The Filmmaker and the Labyrinth (2004)

User Reviews

Respectable first feature from a major director.

Rosi, later director of SALVATORE GIULIANO and the Gian Maria Volonte thrillers, is running up to speed here but the strong use of location - Naples tenements contrasted to the farming community - makes him an interesting link between the Neo Realists and the political thriller lot of the seventies, Damiano and the rest.

Suarez, the lead, switches from cigarette smuggling to vegetables, forming an uneasy alliance with the rural crime Don. We know he's going to get his but before that happens he's paired with Schiafino among the laundry drying on the roof, so that their mothers can argue whether she's an under age innocent or the local slut, and moved her into a bay view flat. Some suspense builds with in the final drive back to the city.

Compare this one with the similar themed American JUKE GIRL and THIEVES' HIGHWAY.

The technicians are excellent, with Di Venanzo's total focus look evident here before his Antonioni successes made him famous.