Todo modo (1976)

Director:

Elio Petri

Writers:

Berto Pelosso (adaptation)
Elio Petri (screenplay)

Release Date:

30 April 1976 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

President | Minister | Years Of Lead | Prime Minister | Political Party

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Gian Maria Volonté	...	M.
Marcello Mastroianni	...	Don Gaetano
Mariangela Melato	...	Giacinta, Moglie di M.
Ciccio Ingrassia	...	Voltrano
Franco Citti	...	Autista di M.
Tino Scotti	...	Il Cuoco
Renato Salvatori	...	Dr. Scalambri
Michel Piccoli	...	Lui
Cesare Gelli	...	Arras, Vice Questore
Adriano Amidei Migliano	...	Capra-Profiri
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Giancarlo Badessi	...	Ventre
Mario Bartoli	...	Primogenito Lombo
Nino Costa	...	Prete Giovane
Guerrino Crivello	...	Speaker TV
Marcello Di Falco	...	Saccà
Giulio Donnini	...	Bastante
Aldo Farina	...	Restrero
Giuseppe Leone	...	Martellini
Renato Malavasi	...	Michelozzi
Riccardo Mangano	...	Cardinale Beccarisi
Piero Mazzinghi	...	Caprarozza
Lino Murolo	...	Mozio
Piero Nuti	...	Schiavò
Loris Pereira Lopez	...	Lombo sr.
Riccardo Satta	...	Lomazzo
Luigi Uzzo	...	Aldo Lombo
Luigi Zerbinati	...	Caudo

Also Known As:

Todo Modo (France)

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13

Company:

Cinevera S.p.a.

Trivia:

This movie was intended to satirize Italy's ruling political party, the Democrazia Cristiana. 'Gian Maria Volonté''s character was a caricature of one of DC leader's, statesman Aldo Moro. Two years later, Moro was kidnapped and murdered by communist terrorists.

Quotes:

Don Gaetano: Have you ever tried to dress as a priest? Try it, at least once. It's a bit like being a woman. In summer the breeze enters under the genitals. You can go without briefs. Priests are half men and half women.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Il caimano (2006)

Not stale, not at all

"However, two years later, Moro was kidnapped and murdered by communist terrorists and the joke went stale." This is taken from the trivia about Todo modo. I don't think such a film can be described as a joke. However, the movie ain't stale, mister. Not at all. I saw it a few days ago (it was something of an event because obviously Italian TV does NOT show such films), and it was sort of a shock. Who cares about Moro and the DC? Moro died in 1978 and the Democrazia Cristiana does not exist anymore (though many politicians who belonged to that party are still in power today). But Italy is still like that. Todo modo is definitely not a realistic film. It's a claustrophobic nightmare, a deranged vision of the worst aspects of my country. But it's still true. It still applies. It ain't stale, not at all. Besides, it features three breath-taking performances by very different actors such as Ciccio Ingrassia (one of our greatest actors, unjustly underrated because of his success as a B-movie comedian), Gian Maria Volontè (one of the greatest actors ever, had he lived and worked in the USA he would be mentioned just everywhere) and Marcello Mastroianni (a famous actor I don't always like, but this is his best performance with his cynical role in La dolce vita). It's a real shame there's no DVD available. But then our prime minister is Silvio Berlusconi, we can't complain... this is what we deserve.