Padre padrone (1977)

The true story of the life of Gavino Ledda, the son of a Sardinian shepherd, and how he managed to escape his harsh, almost barbaric existence by slowly educating himself, despite violent ... See full summary »

Directors:

Paolo Taviani, Vittorio Taviani

Writers:

Gavino Ledda (book), Paolo Taviani

Stars:

Omero Antonutti, Saverio Marconi, Marcella Michelangeli

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 9 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Omero Antonutti	...	Father
Saverio Marconi	...	Gavino
Marcella Michelangeli	...	Mother
Fabrizio Forte	...	Young Gavino
Marino Cenna	...	Young shepherd
Stanko Molnar	...	Sebastiano
Nanni Moretti	...	Cesare
Pierluigi Alvau
Giuseppino Angioni
Fabio Angioni
Giuseppe Brandino
Mario Cheri
Giuseppe Chessa Perle
Domenico Deriu
Marina D'Onofrio

Storyline

The true story of the life of Gavino Ledda, the son of a Sardinian shepherd, and how he managed to escape his harsh, almost barbaric existence by slowly educating himself, despite violent opposition from his brutal father.

---

Plot Keywords:

shepherd | father son relationship | sardinia | masturbation | abused child | 

---

Taglines:

...my father, my Master

---

Genres:

Biography | Drama

---

Did You Know?

Trivia

Akira Kurosawa included this as one of his favorite movies in his book A Dream is a Genius.

---

Quotes

[last lines]
Father: Don't laugh at Gavino. Hands on your desks! Today is Gavino's turn. Tomorrow will be yours.

---

Connections

Referenced in La macchina cinema: Il travagliato sogno di una vita (1978)

---

Soundtracks

Overture from 'Die Fledermaus'
Composed by Johann Strauss

User Reviews

Tyranny is not so easily left behind

"Padre Padrone" (Italian, 1977): Directed by Paolo and Vittoria Taviani. A Sardinian boy grows up under the crude and violent shadow of his sheepherder father. Family life is a combination of mind-numbing boredom and crackling moments of fear. The years pass, and almost by accident, the boy (now a man of 20) becomes involved in the larger world. Here begins his struggle to break away from the tyranny of "Father/Master", and make use all that awaits him… but the teachings of his father are NOT that easily left behind. It's an interesting psychological story shown in typical Italian 70's fashion – low production values, lots of overdubbing, and only a slight interest in creating an artful shot (no, most Italian films are NOT Fellini or Antonioni). However, THIS one is worth following. The payoff IS in the story and its message. It's a strong film that reminded me of "Pelle the Conqueror". And a second night of pondering: "Padre Padrone" ("Father Master") is a truly unique look at the relationship between fathers and sons. It's not a pastel image, that's for sure, but it raises some very interesting questions that I think most sons will recognize at some deep, unspoken level. As is always the case with a smart work of Art, the visual level is but the entryway to a broader topic which allows more viewers to relate. No, WE'RE NOT Sardinian, sheep herders, uneducated, or dirt floor poor. No, our fathers probably did not behave exactly as this father did...yet nearly every one of us can sense that the feelings we held towards our fathers (as boys) are somehow addressed in this film. He held the power. To get "out from under" his looming protections and threats, we had to leave. There was no other way to break free of the family dynamic. Upon return, for a visit or temporary living circumstance, we found he had not changed - no one in the family had changed - and the certainty we had that WE had changed while away, was only a facade days away from cracking or collapsing. What did we do? We left again, returned, left, visited, avoided, watched, and waited for "things" to change to SUCH a degree, we could now all settle into a new set of roles.

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian Sardinian German Latin

Release Date:

28 December 1979 (Portugal)

Also Known As:

Padre padrone

Filming Locations:

Sardinia, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Rai 2, Cinema S.r.l

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1