Salvatore Giuliano (1962)

In 1950, 28-year-old outlaw Salvatore Giuliano is found gunned down in a Sicilian courtyard. Little is as it seems. The film moves back and forth between the late 1940s, when Giuliano and ... See full summary »

Director:

Francesco Rosi

Writers:

Suso Cecchi D'Amico, Enzo Provenzale,

Stars:

Salvo Randone, Frank Wolff, Sennuccio Benelli

5 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Salvo Randone	...	President of Viterbo Assize Court
Frank Wolff	...	Gaspare Pisciotta

Storyline

In 1950, 28-year-old outlaw Salvatore Giuliano is found gunned down in a Sicilian courtyard. Little is as it seems. The film moves back and forth between the late 1940s, when Giuliano and other reprobates were recruited by separatist politicians to do their fighting, and the days leading up to and following Giuliano's death. After Sicily's self-rule is declared, will the outlaws be pardoned as promised? And why does Giuliano order his gang to fire on a peaceful May Day rally? Police, Carabinieri, and Mafia have their uses for him. There's a trial after his death: will the truth come out or does the code of silence help protect those in power?

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Plot Keywords:

death | outlaw | separatist | 1950s | mafia | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | History | Mystery | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

28 February 1962 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Giuliano, o arhilistis

Filming Locations:

Castelvetrano, Trapani, Sicily, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Galatea Film, Lux Film, Vides Cinematografica

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of the ten movies that was on Martin Scorsese's Sight and Sound 2012 Poll..

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Goofs

During the Portella della Ginestre sequence, a member of the Communist Party gives a speech. In reality the shooting in the massacre began before anyone had a chance to speak to deliberately stop the speech starting.

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Connections

Featured in The Filmmaker and the Labyrinth (2004)

User Reviews

A Subtle Classic About The Heart and Soul of A Country

The first time you experience this film is rather like going to an opera without knowing the plot: there are some grand scenes of murder and passion, some incredible scenery, but it's long and you're in a suspended state of confusion much of the time--and it's a two-hour film, almost a documentary.

The second time you watch this film (and you should!) it can be enjoyed on so many levels, and you begin to appreciate Rosi's genius for mixing various kinds of truth, for exposing the sorts of lies governmental bodies can develop to protect their flanks, for demythologizing the idea of the folk outlaw whose ideals are supposedly those of the people. At heart this is a film about Sicily, about an island's struggle to find it's heart and it's heritage--not easy to watch, but magnificently photographed at every turn.