Franco Graziosi Movies
- 1980
The unfortunate history of Sarzana, a small socialist town in Italy, is the focus of this interesting drama based on actual events. One night in the summer of 1921, a group of 600 armed fascists invaded the town and were repulsed by the farmers. Fifteen fascists died in the attack. After Italy's conservative government is elected without the help of the Socialist Party, a fascist inspector continues the "investigation" of the incident at Sarzana. The result is the repression of the farmers and Mussolini's praise for the "fascist martyrs of Sarzana." ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Franco Graziosi, Riccardo Cucciolla, (more)
- 1977
The majority of Italian communists had been somewhat independent from strict adherence to the Soviet Communist Party's dictates for several decades by the 1970s. This biographical drama explores the career of Antonio Gramsci (1891-1937), one of the communists who, in the '20s and '30s began to break with Moscow over issues of strategy. Born in Sardinia, Gramschi, together with Palmiro Togliatti created the newspaper L'Ordine Nuovo in 1919. He became the Secretary of the Italian Communist Party in 1924. Arrested in 1926, he died days after his release from prison in 1937. His writings, The Prison Notebooks, cover the period between 1929-35. In these, he substituted the conception of the "dictatorship of the proletariat" for the "hegemony of the proletariat." His emphasis was on intellectual guidance rather than domination by the state. The movie mostly explores his career while he was in prison, from which he was allowed to circulate his notions concerning a gradual revolution. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Riccardo Cucciolla, Paolo Bonacelli, (more)
- 1973
- PG
In this unusual spaghetti western departure for exploitation filmmaker Paolo Cavara (La Tarantola dal Ventre Nero), two friends help Sam Houston work for Texas statehood. Johnny Ears (Franco Nero) and his deaf-mute sidekick Erastus "Deaf" Smith (Anthony Quinn) go after a Mexican general (Franco Graziosi) under orders from Germany to agitate the populace. The film looks terrific, thanks to cinematography by Tonino Delli Colli (Once Upon a Time in America), but is often lacking in the story department. Perhaps part of the blame belongs to co-screenwriter Harry Essex, fresh off the dreadful sci-fi flop Octaman (1971). Pamela Tiffin appears as a prostitute, and the film co-stars Tom Felleghy and Renato Romano. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Quinn, Franco Nero, (more)
- 1972
Well-known actor Gian Maria Volonte carries this Italian biographical film almost single-handedly in his role as the industrialist Enrico Mattei. Mattei gave Italian industry a much-needed shot in the arm in the postwar era and died under suspicious circumstances in 1962. However, like many larger-than-life figures, he is not without his flaws. He created a giant monopolistic industry, which he is thought to have maintained free from interference by the government through the application of generous bribes. When he set out to make Italy a power in the petroleum world, however, he ran into serious difficulties. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gian Maria Volontè
Originally titled Giù la Testa, Duck, You Sucker! is a Mexican-revolution yarn, filmed in Italy by spaghetti Western maven Sergio Leone. James Coburn is top-billed as John H. Mallory, an Irish soldier of fortune with a penchant for explosives. Rod Steiger plays Juan Miranda, another mercenary who wants to utilize Mallory's specialty to blast into a bank. Despite his avaricious intentions, Miranda becomes a hero when the hole he blows in the bank wall frees dozens of political prisoners. Duck, You Sucker originally ran 150 minutes, with U.S. release prints heavily trimmed. Taking into consideration the previous "Man With No Name" films masterminded by Leone, the distributors of Duck, You Sucker! reissued the film as A Fistful of Dynamite. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod Steiger, James Coburn, (more)
- 1970
Italian army regulars resist the orders of a cruel general whose rigid interpretations of the rules call for a man to be shot. Leone (Alain Cuny) orders the execution of an army regular who halted the troops while under enemy fire. A sympathetic lieutenant substitutes a dead body for that of the doomed soldier because he believes the general has been wrong and the man acted normally. Another lieutenant is shot when he refuses to shoot men who have exited quickly from a foxhole under bombardment. This anti-war film illustrates the enemy is not the only force of evil on the battlefield and that war is inherently wrong for everyone involved. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Frechette, Alain Cuny, (more)
