Mafioso (1962)

When a good-natured factory supervisor living in Milan with his Northern wife returns to his native Sicily, a decades' old oath forces him to fulfill a nightmarish obligation.

Director:

Alberto Lattuada

Writers:

Rafael Azcona, Bruno Caruso (story),

Stars:

Alberto Sordi, Norma Bengell, Gabriella Conti

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Alberto Sordi	...	Antonio Badalamenti
Norma Bengell	...	Marta
Gabriella Conti	...	Rosalia
Ugo Attanasio	...	Don Vincenzo
Cinzia Bruno	...	Donatella
Katiuscia	...	Patrizia (as Katiusca Piretti)
Armando Tine	...	Dr. Zanchi
Lilly Bistrattin	...	Dr. Zanchi's Secretary
Michèle Bailly	...	Young Baroness
Francesco Lo Briglio	...	Don Calogero
Carmelo Oliviero	...	Don Liborio
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stefano Benigno
Paolo Cuccia
Hugh Hurd
Vincenzo Norvese

Storyline

Antonio is a jolly and precise guy working for an auto factory in northern Italy. He decides to take his wife and two daughters on vacation to Sicily, so that they can finally see his hometown and meet his family. He's excited to show them around and dispel many of their negative stereotypes about Sicilians. He even dispels stereotypes about the mafia, saying that being a mafioso as a teen amounted to just being a messenger boy. But as Antonio reconnects with his past in Sicily, he finds out that there are more sides to being a Sicilian than he remembers.

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Plot Keywords:

sicilian | sicily | factory | hometown | vacation | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian English French German

Release Date:

25 October 1962 (Italy)

Also Known As:

A maffia parancsára

Filming Locations:

Innocenti Factory, Milan, Lombardia, Italy

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$29,965 (USA) (19 January 2007)

Gross:

$398,614 (USA) (27 July 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Compagnia Cinematografica Antonio Cervi, Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Marta: Your mother hasn't said a word to me since we arrived. She stares at me as if I was some kind of exotic animal.

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Connections

Edited into Appunti per un viaggio alle radici dell'emigrazione vista al cinema... (2010)

User Reviews

just go see this! Best of 2007 for sure.

How wonderful it is to start the year and to know that you have possibly already found what is going to be your favorite movie of the year: MAFIOSO is that movie!

I had never seen the film and never seen much of director's LAttuada's work either. I am Italian yet in Italy LAttuada is not really considered as one of the great directors...well it is about time this changed. We have to thank the folks at Rialto Pictures (who id re-releasing the film in the US) for rediscovering this great talent. I wish they started rediscovering him also in Italy...well, too often a country doesn't appreciate its talents! Anyway...

LAttuada directs with a great sense of storytelling, every shot has its reason to be and is there to bring the story forward. His capacity of being in control and keeping all the aspects of the film together is exemplary: The cinematography is incredible, manages at the same time to create a mood and to be absolutely concentrated in serving the script. The way the film uses its musical score is super modern (I would like to mention the genius score by Piero Piccioni) The editing is exceptional, never a flaw, never a scene that lasts too log or too little. The overall feeling at the end is that of a perfectly cohesive film. And one that makes you think too...and think a lot!

I am not a big mafia movie fan, but this one is different from any other I have ever seen, has a way of turning comedy into tragedy and tragedy into comedy that I have not seen too often on the screen.

Alberto Sordi is one of the best actors Italy has ever had: please go and discover his talent and his genius. I say MAfioso is well worth your time, if you don't go and see it it is your big loss!