Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Riccardo Scamarcio | ... | Sergio Segio | |
Giovanna Mezzogiorno | ... | Susanna Ronconi | |
Fabrizio Rongione | ... | Claudio | |
Dario Aita | |||
Michele Alhaique | ... | Rosario | |
![]() |
Jacopo Maria Bicocchi | ... | Marco Donat-Cattin |
![]() |
Piero Cardano | ||
Claudia Coli | |||
![]() |
Francesca Cuttica | ... | Federica Meroni |
![]() |
Franco De Maestri | ... | (as Franco Demaestri) |
![]() |
Marco Iermanò | ... | Willy |
Anita Kravos | ... | Marina Premoli, la Contessa | |
Lucia Mascino | ... | Loredana Biancamano | |
![]() |
Cristina Pasino | ||
![]() |
Umberto Petranca | ... | Roberto Sandalo |
The tumultuous political events of the late sixties that swept across Europe left a particular mark on Italy. The radical Red Brigades, committed to the violent overthrow of the State, were formed out of the student protests of 1968. Prima Linea was another Italian terrorist organization, founded in the late seventies and even more extreme in its methods. Believing there would be a coup by right-wing elements, a young Italian man, Sergio Segio, goes underground, convinced the use of violence is a necessary choice. There he meets the equally committed Susanna, falls in love and continues to fight the brutal battle of a political extremist. Eventually, Sergio grows disenchanted with the tactics of the Prima Linea, but when Susanna is captured, he resorts to the methods he has learned as a militant to try to spring her from prison. Written by Anonymous
This grim, dramatised account of Italy's La Prima Linea, an extremist left wing political faction who saw themselves as combating the excesses of police repression, features jailed Scamarcio (MY BROTHER IS AN ONLY CHILD) telling his participation in the movement at the time of the Aldo Moro kidnapping in which they were not involved. The plot centres on the attack on the prison where his love interest Mezzogiorno (TENDERNESS) and other women members are being held while the movement has lost the sympathy of the workers movements whose interests they claim to represent.
Meetings, raids, actual news coverage and filming in Rome, Milan and Venice fill in his to camera narration. Not one of the best of these though it's sombre presentation does hold attention.
The Dardennes' participation may be noted.