Bella Mafia (1997) (TV)

Director:

David Greene

Writers (WGA):

Lynda La Plante (novel)
Lynda La Plante (teleplay)

Release Date:

16 November 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Hell hath no fury like the women of... [Bella Mafia]

Plot:

When Sofia marries into a Mafia family, she doesn't know what she's getting into. When her husband, all her brothers-in-law...

Plot Keywords:

Mafia | Revenge | Necklace | Widow | Dead Children

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Vanessa Redgrave	...	Graziella Luciano
Dennis Farina	...	Don Roberto Luciano
Nastassja Kinski	...	Sophia Luciano
Jennifer Tilly	...	Moyra Luciano
Illeana Douglas	...	Teresa Scorpio Luciano
James Marsden	...	Luka
Gina Philips	...	Rosa Luciano
Richard Portnow	...	Anthony Moreno
Franco Nero	...	Mario Domino
Peter Bogdanovich	...	Vito Giancamo
Carmen Argenziano
Michael Hayden	...	Michael Luciano
Richard Joseph Paul	...	Constantino Luciano
W. Earl Brown	...	Fredrico Luciano
Tony Maggio	...	Alfredo
Tomas Arana
Christopher Shaw	...	Giorgio Corolla
Michael Raynor
Dimitra Arliss	...	Mrs. Scorpio, Teresa's mother
Paul Eckstein
Tony Lo Bianco	...	Pietro Carolla
Todd Tesen	...	Lennie Jackson
Michael Kagen	...	Victor Muzetti
Michael Gregory	...	Michael Barzini
David O'Donnell	...	Michael Giancamo
Dominick Morra	...	Father Antonio
Sam Adamo	...	Elderly Father
Rita Zohar	...	Sister Giuliana
Michael Clark Elias	...	Casino Cashier
Nick Vallelonga	...	Gate Guard
Alec Plummer	...	Luka - Age 10
Scott Layne	...	Casino Security
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mark Fourte	...	Casino Security
Steve Silverie	...	Prison Guard
Greg Cannone	...	Monk (uncredited)
Mike Doyle	...	(uncredited)
Larissa Laskin	...	Francesca (uncredited)
Rocco Salata	...	Thug / Bodyguard (uncredited)
Brian Sampson	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Nick Santoro	...	Church Mourner (uncredited)

Directed by
David Greene

Writing credits (WGA)
Lynda La Plante		(novel)
Lynda La Plante		(teleplay)

Produced by
Jack Clements	....	producer
Michael T. Elias	....	associate producer
Alfred Haber	....	co-producer
Ande Hecht-Endewardt	....	associate producer
Frank Konigsberg	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Joseph Vitarelli

Cinematography by
Gordon Lonsdale

Film Editing by
Michael Brown

Casting by
Gary M. Zuckerbrod

Production Design by
Charles C. Bennett

Set Decoration by
Kurt Meisenbach

Costume Design by
Enid Harris

Makeup Department
Darlene Brumfield	....	key hair stylist
Linda De Andrea	....	key hair stylist
Heather Koontz	....	makeup artist
Angela Levin	....	key makeup artist
Ani Plotkin-Maloney	....	key makeup artist (as Ani Plotkin)

Production Management
Jack Clements	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Matthew J. Clark	....	first assistant director
W. Thomas Snyder	....	second assistant director (as Tom Snyder)

Art Department
Chuck Courrieu	....	set dresser
Doug Devine	....	set dresser
Robert Scott Kyker	....	property master (as Rob Kyker)
Philip Stone	....	construction coordinator
Darrin Sullivan	....	gang boss
Cole Young	....	construction foreman

Sound Department
Patrick Bietz	....	supervising adr editor
Fred Clemons	....	sound re-recordist
Pete Elia	....	sound recording mixer
Stephen Fitzmaurice	....	adr recordist
David Hankins	....	supervising sound editor (as Dave Hankins)
Rick Hromadka	....	sound effects editor
Stacey Michaels	....	adr mixer
Michael C. Moore	....	sound
Kurt Peterson	....	boom operator
Brian Robinson	....	boom operator
Steven M. Sax	....	sound editor
Larry Stensvold	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
John E. Gray	....	special effects coordinator (as John Gray)

Visual Effects by
Lenny Fohrer	....	colorist

Stunts
Richard Bucher	....	stunt double
George B. Colucci Jr.	....	stunt performer
Cory Fleming	....	stunts
Leslie Hoffman	....	stunts
Ben Jensen	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Marc Christie	....	dolly grip
Gregory Paul Collier	....	camera operator (as Greg Collier)
David W. Donoho	....	key grip (as David Donoho)
Greg Mayer	....	set electrician
Jacqueline J. Nivens	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
David Richert	....	first assistant camera
J.B. Richner	....	best boy electric
Randy Stone	....	second assistant: a camera
Jack Todd	....	gaffer
Gary Katsuya Ushino	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera

Casting Department
Eric Hughes	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
David W. King	....	costumes (as David King)
Nadine Reimers	....	costumes
Rob Saduski	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Tony Ciccone	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Allan K. Rosen	....	music editor
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer

Other crew
Maxine Bergen	....	script supervisor
Giampaolo Debole	....	production coordinator
John Grant	....	assistant location manager
Steven Krul	....	production assistant
Nicole Luther	....	second assistant accountant
R. Scott Poole	....	assistant location manager
Stacia Sekuler Miehe	....	production accountant
Steven Shkolnik	....	location manager
Lisa Marie Stetler	....	assistant to producer
Tony Whitmore	....	set medic coordinator

Production Companies

• The Königsberg Company

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1997) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (1999) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Indies Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Trimark Home Video (1999) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for some violence

Runtime:

UK:105 min (2 parts) | 117 min (short version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M | Spain:18 | UK:15 | USA:R | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Alverno High School - 200 North Michillinda Avenue, Sierra Madre, California, USA

Company:

The Königsberg Company

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where Sofia has Lucas tied to the chair he does not have the necklace on. However, in a later scene she discovers the necklace on him.

Quotes:

Luka - Age 10:Are you some kind of prisoner?
Giorgio Corolla:Possibly, but only of my own physical deformities.
Luka - Age 10:You're not eating?
Giorgio Corolla:Help yourself.
Luka - Age 10:Whats that stink in here? Do you go in your pants?
Giorgio Corolla:[chuckles] No, not today, fortunatly
Luka - Age 10:How old are you?
Giorgio Corolla:Older then anyone anticipated I would ever live to be, especially my father. How old are you?
Luka - Age 10:I dunno... Watcha got all these books for?
Giorgio Corolla:I read.
[...]

Soundtrack:

Bella Luna

Worth watching only if you're REALLY into Mafia films

One of the challenges with any film concerning the Mafia is that they're usually compared (intentionally or subconsciously) with "The Godfather" trilogy. Tough company, right? Some films still manage to retain respectability, such as "The Last Don", "Casino", or "Goodfellas". Then there are films like "Bella Mafia".

"Bella Mafia" is well-acted. How can it not be with capable actors like Redgrave, Kinski, Tilly, Farina, etc.? Yet even they're abilities can't overcome some of the lines they're forced to deliver. Let me be clear - I'm not a professional writer nor actor. I can, however, detect "cheese" when I see or hear it. At one point about half-way through the film I looked at my wife and said, "They should re-name this "Those Wacky Lucianos". Some of the situations, dialogue, and mannerisms of the performers seemed like it was almost poking fun at the mob-movie genre. I won't go into details of the plot, just suffice it to say the twists turns were more than implausable. Even my wife, who LOVES mob movies, admitted it was more than a bit weak.

Here's the bottom line. If you REALLY like movies about the Cosa Nostra, then check it out. Just keep your expectations low. That way, the talented actors may just do enough to keep your interest. They really do nice work, especially considering what they had to work with. Otherwise, skip this one and watch something else.