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

Martin Scorsese credits this film as being one of his many inspirational sources for the look and style of his Taxi Driver.

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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

Version of The Sicilian (1987)

User Reviews

brilliant direction

This remarkable movie reminded me of early Eisenstein for the fluid, dynamic

movement of crowds--in the streets, in the movement of soldiers and bandits across the hilly terrain, and in the scene of the Portella della Ginestre massacre. The back-and-forth narrative structure must have influenced Costa-Gavras in the making of "Z." And Rosi's ability to get riveting performances from non-professionals (some of whom could not read scripts) is astonishing. The story line gets confusing, but I think that's because the situation was confusing--multiple betrayals and layers of

corruption and complicity--rather than a flaw in the script or editing. Visually exciting, too--the use of distancing overhead shots, the quiet menace of gunmen walking up a deserted, sun-baked street... memorable stuff.