Many Wars Ago (1970)

On the Italian/Austrian front during World War I, a disastrous Italian attack upon the Austrian positions leads to a mutiny among the decimated Italian troops.

Director:

Francesco Rosi

Writers:

Tonino Guerra (screenplay) (as Antonio Guerra), Raffaele La Capria (screenplay)

Stars:

Mark Frechette, Alain Cuny, Gian Maria Volontè

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mark Frechette	...	sottotenente Sassu
Alain Cuny	...	generale Leone
Gian Maria Volontè	...	tenente Ottolenghi
Giampiero Albertini	...	capitano Abbati
Pier Paolo Capponi	...	tenente Santini
Franco Graziosi	...	maggiore Ruggero Malchiodi
Mario Feliciani	...	Colonello medici
Alberto Mastino	...	soldato Marrasi
Brunetto Del Vita	...	colonello Stringari
Nino Vingelli	...	Soldato presunto autoferito
Zdravko Smojver
Antonio Pavan	...	Lt. Pavan
Emilio Bonucci
Franco Acampora	...	(as Francesco Acampora)
Luigi Pignatelli	...	Avellini

Storyline

In Northern Italy, WWI has turned into a bloody stalemate. Bogged down in their trenches on a barren highland, the men of an Italian infantry division have been given one objective: retake a commanding height from the enemy. Unfortunately, the tactical ingenuity of general Leone, the unpopular division commander, consists of supplementing frontal attacks against machine-guns with medieval fighting schemes. His dispirited troops must be prodded with ever harsher measures into storming the Austrian positions. As casualties mount, indignation spreads amongst the rank and file. Disturbed by the decisions of his superiors, lieutenant Sassu is progressively led to question the purpose of the war and to reconsider where his real duties lie.

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Plot Keywords:

discipline | coercion | dead soldier | stupidity | italian soldier | 

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Taglines:

they fought by the rule book ... and died by the thousands !

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Italy Yugoslavia

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

17 September 1970 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Many Wars Ago

Filming Locations:

Centralni Filmski Studio Kosutnjak, Belgrade, Serbia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Prima Cinematografica, Jadran Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Tenebrae: Interview with Dario Argento and Daria Nicolodi (1982)

User Reviews

One of the most realistic historical movie.

About me, this is a masterpiece of the genre.It is a story about the brutality of war, telling the terrible events happened in the Italian front during world war I. Here we have General Leone, a cruel high official that, without any respect of human life, send his men to the slaughter armed only with guns against the austrian-asburgic machine guns. He is an imaginary personage, but is probably inspired to the real existed General Cadorna.He sadly famous for similar behaviors(such as collective executions of his soldiers for insignificant motivations,like for example thefts by an unknown),and for this,after an heavy defeat at Caporetto, he was replaced by much more able and honest General Armando Diaz. All of this represented with heartbreaking realism in this movie, that unlike other similar, prefer the historic accuracy instead that unrealistic heroism.

I have to signal the excellent photography.