Vittorio Cottafavi Movies
Italian filmmaker Vittorio Cottafavi is best known for his dramatic historical epics, and though highly respected by a few French critics from the Cahiers du Cinema, he was generally regarded as competent by most reviewers. Born in Modena, Italy Cottafavi first studied law, philosophy and literature before enrolling in Rome's prestigious Centro Sperimentale du Cinematografia. He graduated in the late '30s and began working as a screenwriter. Cottafavi then became an assistant director to both Alessandro Blasetti and Vittorio de Sica. In 1943, Cottafavi made his directorial debut in I Nostri Sogni. He abandoned feature filmmaking in the late 1960s to begin helming television adaptations of classic literature. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 1994
- R
This entertaining, and often funny French documentary offers a fascinating glimpse into the minds of 14 petty criminals. In France, a crime suspect can be held up to 48 hours without bail. The suspect's statement will then be recorded by a substitute de procurer. The substitute is responsible for deciding whether to release the suspect or send him or her before a judge. This film, allows viewers to watch as actual criminals give their explanations or excuses for their recent actions. The interactions between substitute and suspect are at times hilarious, and always fascinating. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Set at the end of the 1930s, this tale about three college students and their brush with a degenerate lifestyle is low on action and budget, but the dialogue and interactions of the protagonists keep interest piqued. One evening while college buddies Rino, Pieretto, and Oreste (Alessandro Fontana, Roberto Accornero, and Matteo Corvino) are traveling around the Turin hills on their usual excursions into philosophizing and just hanging out, they come across Poli (Urbano Barberini) an obviously wealthy young man, passed out behind the wheel of his top-of-the-line sports car. It turns out that Poli was once a friend of Oreste's, and from that moment onward, the three strike up an acquaintance with him. One thing leads to another, and when they spend a summer on his estate, they soon become uncomfortably acquainted with his dissolute lifestyle as well.
~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roberto Accornero, Matteo Corvino, (more)
- 1961
This French/Italian sword 'n' sandal effort is set in the Rome of 476 BC. The Eternal City is threatened with invasion from the Etruscans, with soldier-of-fortune Louis Jourdan in the vanguard. When offered a truce, Jourdan demands that the Romans offer hostages as a sign of good faith. He is especially interested in making the acquaintance of Sylvia Sims, the militaristic leader of a group of female warriors (the "Amazons" of the title). As the film hastens to its conclusion, we learn that Jourdan and Syms are the only honorable people around; with plenty of treachery and back-stabbing in both the Roman and Estrucan camps, it's a wonder if anyone will be left standing for the final battle scenes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Louis Jourdan, Nicole Courcel, (more)
- 1961
Hercules (Reg Park) and King Androcles (Ettore Manni) are on an ocean expedition when Androcles is washed overboard during a storm near a mysterious island. Making landfall, Hercules finds that the island is the kingdom of Atlantis, ruled by a beautiful, cruel, and ambitious queen, Antinea (Fay Spain), who controls a mysterious source of power. She has transformed her personal guard into super-strong warriors -- each nearly a match for Hercules, put Androcles under her spell, and inflicted terrible wounds on her people, all in preparation for her plan to conquer the world. Hercules finds that her power stems from a source older than the gods on Olympus, one over which he has virtually no power. He must save his friend, release Antinea's people, and prevent her from carrying out her plans. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Reg Park
On the heels of muscleman Steve Reeves' low-budget Italian sword and sandal epics comes this unintentionally hilarious knock-off that is largely comprised of footage from an Italian mythic epic in which a brawny hero ("Maciste" in Italy and "Goliath" in the US) takes on wicked King Eurystheus' cheesy monsters that included a three headed fire belching dog, a gigantic, murderous bat (both of which appeared in the original film) and a ludicrously unscary dragon (in some scenes, only the huge head shows, while for long-shots the filmmakers used stop animation from Jim Danforth). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Forest, Broderick Crawford, (more)
- 1959
Released not long before a much more spectacular Cleopatra came along to make Elizabeth Taylor even more famous, this routine drama by Vittorio Cottafavi, a director who favors historical epics, is no competition. The prelude to Cleopatra's demise is the main focus of attention, but in this drama Mark Antony's presence is usurped by the Roman envoy Curridius (Ettore Manni). Curridius travels all the way from Rome to warn Antony that the powers-that-be are not thrilled with his behavior. Along the way, he faces one danger after another and then encounters Cleopatra (Linda Cristal) to make it all seem worth the effort. Gladiators in combat, underwater fights, and other impressive action scenes enliven the story. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Linda Cristal, Georges Marchal, (more)
- 1958
The ancient Roman empire is the setting for this sword-and-sandal costume drama about the villainous Princess Amira (Gianna Maria Canale) who plans to poison the rightful heir to the Armenian throne, her younger brother. She has cast her lot with the Scythians, a foreign tribe who want to expand their territory. But a resistance movement is led by Asclepio (Georges Marchal), and when the Roman tribune Marcus Numidius (Ettore Manni) thunders in to set things right, he has Asclepio's underground force as an ally. Large-scale battles and smaller contests in the gladiatorial arena provide plenty of rousing action. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gianna Maria Canale, Georges Marchal, (more)
- 1948
Anna Magnani provides the box-office luster for this pedestrian wartime melodrama. Filmed on location in Milan, the story revolves around a jackbooted Nazi officer. A textbook study in sadism, the officer regains his humanity when he is nursed through a raging illness by peasant woman Magnani. The screenplay is by neorealism maven Cesar Zavattini, who'd certainly done better work than this. Filmed in 1946, Lo Sconosluto di San Marino (The Unknown of San Marino) was released in the U.S. in 1948, where it suffered in comparison to the onslaught of superior Italian productions of the era. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anna Magnani
