Il ladro di bambini (1992)

Antonio, a policeman (carabiniere), has an order to take two children (Rosetta and her brother Luciano) from Milan to Sicily to an orphanage. Their mother has been arrested for forcing ... See full summary »

Director:

Gianni Amelio

Writers:

Gianni Amelio (story), Sandro Petraglia (story)

Stars:

Enrico Lo Verso, Valentina Scalici, Giuseppe Ieracitano

18 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Enrico Lo Verso	...	Antonio
Valentina Scalici	...	Rosetta
Giuseppe Ieracitano	...	Luciano
Florence Darel	...	Martine
Marina Golovine	...	Nathalie
Renato Carpentieri	...	Maresciallo
Vitalba Andrea	...	Sorella di Antonio
Fabio Alessandrini	...	Grignani
Vincenzo Peluso	...	Carabiniere napoletano
Massimo De Lorenzo	...	Papaleo
Celeste Brancato	...	Signora Papaleo
Santo Santonocito	...	Carabiniere siciliano
Lello Serao	...	Cliente casa Rosetta
Agostino Zumbo	...	Sacerdote istituto
Maria Pia Di Giovanni	...	Madre Rosetta

Storyline

Antonio, a policeman (carabiniere), has an order to take two children (Rosetta and her brother Luciano) from Milan to Sicily to an orphanage. Their mother has been arrested for forcing Rosetta (11 years old) to work as a prostitute. First the relation between Antonio and the children is tough, but it relaxes so they become temporary friends.

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Plot Keywords:

male objectification | taking off shirt | tank top | man wearing a tank top | children | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Italy France Switzerland

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

3 March 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

O Ladrão de Crianças

Filming Locations:

Marina di Ragusa, Ragusa, Sicily, Italy

Box Office

Gross USA:

$931,280

Company Credits

Production Co:

Erre Produzioni,Alia Film,Rai 2

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Enrico Lo Verso was the only member of the main cast to be a professional actor.

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Point of No Return/CB4/Fire in the Sky/Barbarians at the Gate/Il Lardo Di Bambini (1993)

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Soundtracks

Sognando la California
Composed by John Phillips
Lyrics by Mogol
Performed by Dik Dik
Courtesy of MCA Music Italy

User Reviews

Italian coming-of-age

This is one of the best films of all time. The story is heartbreaking: an 11 year-old girl has been forced into prostitution by her mother. When the police arrest the mother, Rosetta and her little brother Luciano (who is 9) must be taken to a children's home in the south of Italy. A young Carabiniere named Antonio is assigned the task of taking them from Milan to Sicilly, even though he's barely more than a child himself. The journey takes this mismatched threesome to Antonio's home province, where he re-unites briefly with his sister and his old granny, before Rosetta is recognized from a magazine cover, and shunned. The growing tenderness among the three young people is the essence of the story. The girl, although only 11, conveys the bitterness of adulthood through her ineffably sad eyes. She knows so much more about life than her 19 year-old policeman, yet without any seedy sexual implications, he comes to teach her through his tender care that there's more to life than sorrow. Luciano is a beautiful child, whose adoration of the soldier/cop is delicately and warmly depicted. Only The 400 Blows and Forbidden Games have captured the ache of childhood as well. The director has used stunning compositions and lingering takes of the Italian countryside that make the story resonate beyond its intimate canvas. The acting is brilliant. I suppose the only reason this film has not been released on DVD is it's controversial subject matter, which is a shame, because that shunning is what the film is about. The Italian title is Il Ladro di Bambini. Don't miss it!