Rocco and His Brothers (1960)
"Rocco e i suoi fratelli" (original title)

Having recently been uprooted to Milan, Rocco and his four brothers each look for a new way in life when a prostitute comes between Rocco and his brother Simone.

Director:

Luchino Visconti

Writers:

Luchino Visconti (story), Suso Cecchi D'Amico (story),

Stars:

Alain Delon, Renato Salvatori, Annie Girardot

Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 9 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alain Delon	...	Rocco Parondi
Renato Salvatori	...	Simone Parondi
Annie Girardot	...	Nadia
Katina Paxinou	...	Rosaria Parondi
Alessandra Panaro	...	Ciro's Fiancee
Spiros Focás	...	Vincenzo Parondi (as Spiros Focas)
Max Cartier	...	Ciro Parondi
Corrado Pani	...	Ivo
Rocco Vidolazzi	...	Luca Parondi
Claudia Mori	...	Laundrey Worker
Adriana Asti	...	Laundrey Worker
Enzo Fiermonte	...	Boxer
Nino Castelnuovo	...	Nino Rossi
Rosario Borelli	...	Un biscazziere
Renato Terra	...	Alfredo, Ginetta's brother

Storyline

The widow Rosaria moves to Milano from Lucania with her 4 sons, one of whom is Rocco. The fifth son, Vincenzo, already lives in Milano. In the beginning, the family has a lot of problems, but everyone manages to find something to do. Simone is boxing, Rocco works in a dry cleaners, and Ciro studies. Simone meets Nadia, a prostitute, and they have a stormy affair. Then Rocco, after finishing his military service, begins a relationship with her. A bitter feud ensues between the two brothers, which will lead as far as murder...

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Plot Keywords:

prostitute | murder | widow | dry cleaners | boxing | 

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Taglines:

DARING in its realism. STUNNING in its impact. BREATHTAKING in its scope.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Sport

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

Italy France

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

26 June 1961 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rocco and His Brothers

Filming Locations:

Bellagio, Como, Lombardia, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Titanus, Les Films Marceau

Technical Specs

Runtime:

177 min 168 min (DVD edition)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Francis Ford Coppola was such a big fan of this film that he hired its composer, Nino Rota, to score his 1972 masterwork, The Godfather.

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Quotes

Rocco Parondi: There's no hope now!

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Connections

Referenced in 1960 (2010)

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Soundtracks

"Calypso in the Rain"
Written by Lelio Luttazzi
Editions Titanus

User Reviews

stunning neorrealism

Visconti at his peak. We are in the fifties, when Italian economy experiences a post-war boom. A Sicilian family arrives to Milan running from south's poverty. They dream with a new life at the industrial pole of the north. But Milan is not precisely a land of opportunities. Exploitation and xenophobia is the common destiny for those who came from south of the country. This film is a perfect sequel to "La Terra Tembla", one of the earliest Visconti's looks on Marxism. The hopes and lives of this five brother's family sink onto a pit at the same time as they destroy themselves. "Rocco and ..." is intensely played by the entire cast, including a young and delicate Alain Delon as the idealistic Rocco, an exquisite Annie Girardot as a prostitute trying to survive to her own hell and a terrific Renato Salvatori. But is the figure of the peasant mother, played superbly by Katina Paxinou, the most remarkable piece of this operatic story. Claudia Cardinale made some kind of Italian debut in this film. Nino Rota composes his most pitiful score and the black and white photography is stunning. The scene at the rooftop of Milan's Duomo is one of my all-time favorites. The American version is usually cut so try to find the original or some DVD restoration. A must see film.