Baarìa (2009)

Baaria is Sicilian slang for Bagheria where Tornatore was born and this is an autobiographic epic of three generations in the Sicilian village where he was born.

Director:

Giuseppe Tornatore

Writer:

Giuseppe Tornatore (story and screenplay)

Stars:

Francesco Scianna, Margareth Madè, Lina Sastri

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 14 wins & 23 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Francesco Scianna	...	Peppino Torrenuova
Margareth Madè	...	Mannina
Lina Sastri	...	Tana / Beggard
Ángela Molina	...	Sarina
Nicole Grimaudo	...	Sarina as a young woman
Ficarra	...	Nino (as Salvo Ficarra)
Picone	...	Luigi (as Valentino Picone)
Gaetano Aronica	...	Cicco
Alfio Sorbello	...	Cicco as a young man
Lollo Franco	...	Don Giacinto
Giovanni Gambino	...	Peppino as a child
Giuseppe Garufì	...	Pietro as a child
Aldo Baglio	...	Speculator
Raoul Bova	...	Roman journalist
Paolo Briguglia	...	Catechist

Storyline

The film begins in the 1920's, in the Sicilian town of Bagheria (a.k.a. Baaria) where Giuseppe "Peppino" Torrenuova works as a shepherd to financially help his poor family. Over the next 50 years Giuseppe's life, as well as the life of the village, is observed. Giuseppe grows up, joins the Communist Party, marries a local girl (Mannina), has children and forges a political career for himself.

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Plot Keywords:

movie theatre | test of physical strength | bagheria sicily | five generations | italian politics | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

The planes flying over Bagheria are Lockheed P-38 Lightnings, a fighter/ fighter-bomber of the US Army Air Force.

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Alternate Versions

The initial UK DVD release of the film (by eone entertainment) is heavily cut, missing a total of ten minutes of footage. Not only is the 'controversial' cow death scene almost entirely cut out (missing the actual cow execution and subsequent bloodletting), but most of the scenes in the film are abridged by at least several seconds (and a few times cut out entirely).

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Connections

References The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964)

User Reviews

Looking back with self indulgence

I was very disturbed by this film and not the kind of disturbance a Polanski or a Pasolini may provide but a disturbance that goes beyond what was on the screen. The Italians tend to be so strict, so serious when it comes to films by an "auteur" so, how is it they give Giuseppe Tornatore a thumbs up for this sentimental without sentiment, two and a half hours television commercial? I kept waiting for the film to start but it never does. Headlines without the article that explains it. Snippets, sketches enveloped in lots and lots of sticky music. This could perfectly have been the work of an American director who's never been to Sicily. A children's coloring book. I'm so puzzled

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site [France]

Country:

Italy France

Language:

Sicilian Italian English

Release Date:

25 September 2009 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Baaria

Filming Locations:

Bagheria, Palermo, Sicily, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

EUR28,000,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$16,017,513

Company Credits

Production Co:

Medusa Film, Quinta Communications, Regione Siciliana

Technical Specs

Runtime:

163 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1