The Law (1959)

Illicit passions pervade an Italian town, where men gather nightly for the cynical "game of the law."

Director:

Jules Dassin

Writers:

Roger Vailland (novel), Jules Dassin

Stars:

Gina Lollobrigida, Pierre Brasseur, Marcello Mastroianni

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gina Lollobrigida	...	Marietta
Pierre Brasseur	...	Don Cesare
Marcello Mastroianni	...	Enrico Tosso - l'agronomo
Melina Mercouri	...	Donna Lucrezia
Yves Montand	...	Matteo Brigante
Raf Mattioli	...	Francesco Brigante
Vittorio Caprioli	...	Attilio - il commissario
Lidia Alfonsi	...	Giuseppina
Gianrico Tedeschi	...	Primo disoccupato
Nino Vingelli	...	Pizzaccio
Bruno Carotenuto	...	Balbo
Luisa Rivelli	...	Elvira
Anna Maria Bottini	...	Maria
Anna Arena	...	Anna - la moglie d'Attilio
Edda Soligo	...	Giulia

Storyline

Marietta, servant of aristocrat Don Cesare, is the bellezza of an Italian town where men gather nightly in the tavern for the 'game of the Law,' selecting one by lot to boss and humiliate the others. Illicit passions abound: the judge's wife pursues Francesco, son of crime boss Matteo, who is after Marietta (so is her brother-in-law); Marietta wants engineer Enrico for a husband, but he claims he's too poor to marry. So she decides to steal herself a dowry! All this may lead to an explosion...and some changes in who dictates 'the law.'

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Plot Keywords:

italy | dancing | agronomist | two word title | female tied up | 

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Taglines:

One of the most distinguished casts ever assembled...one of the most provocative dramas of our time!

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Italy France

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

11 November 1960 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Law

Filming Locations:

Carpino, Foggia, Apulia, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

FRF 450,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,100, 20 August 2010, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$17,351, 29 August 2010

Company Credits

Production Co:

Le Groupe des Quatre, Cité Films, Titanus

Technical Specs

Runtime:

126 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Won the Best Film prize from the National Arts Foundation of Argentina in March of 1959.

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Connections

Spoofed in There's Something About Mary (1998)

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Soundtracks

Serenade In Bari
Written by Roman Vlad
Performed by Caravelli (as Claude Vasori) Et Son Orchestre

User Reviews

Feudal Society

The director Jules Dassin was able to draw well the reality of a small village in Southern Italy, where the existing rules were applied with a double standard. The priest was very much concerned with the attitude of Marietta (Gina Lollobrigida), but not with other situations affecting the town. The game called "la legge" (the law) was not an entertainment instead it was a weapon of intimidation. It appears to be as the behavior of strong animals showing their powers over weak ones. This is an old film, which could be useful to be shown in Italy again. Dassin was able to show various details and characters of the life in the village: the patriarch (Pierre Brasseur), the "pidgeon" (Yves Montand), the man of well-doing (Mastroianni), plus the lady of the family or la Donna(Melina Mercouri) and Marietta, likely to be a kind of spoiled Cinderella. All these ingredients put coherently in an interesting plot made the film attractive to be seen and not only once.