Li chiamarono... briganti!

Li chiamarono... briganti!

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Pasquale Squitieri
Produced by Massimo Iacobis
Written by Giuseppe Carocci
Starring Enrico Lo Verso
Branko Tesanovic
Claudia Cardinale
Franco Nero
Remo Girone
Roberta Armani
Giorgio Albertazzi
Lina Sastri
Music by Luigi Ceccarelli
Distributed by Medusa Film
Release dates
28 May 1999
Running time
129 minutes
Country Italy
Language Italian

Li chiamarono... briganti! (They called them... brigands!) is a 1999 Italian film, directed by Pasquale Squitieri. It tells the story of Carmine Crocco, a 19th-century Italian brigand who gained recognition when he came to the forefront of the brigandage during the Italian unification, by opposing the army of King Victor Emmanuel II. It stars Enrico Lo Verso, Claudia Cardinale, Franco Nero, Remo Girone, Giorgio Albertazzi among the others. The movie was quickly suspended from its cinema run and it is not available on VHS or DVD, someone think then this happened for the censure of Italian's army.

Plot

Carmine Crocco (Enrico Lo Verso) is an outlaw native of Rionero in Vulture (Basilicata), who was forced to the bandit's life after killing a man who had harassed his sister. He joined Giuseppe Garibaldi's Expedition of the Thousand against the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies hoping for a pardon, because the Savoy's government promised to forgive deserters in exchange for military service. But the promise wasn't kept and Crocco was arrested. He also noted that the economic situation was getting worse, with new taxes and growing unemployment.

He is soon released with the help of the local clergy and, disappointed by the unfulfilled promise of the new government, Crocco is persuaded by the cleric Don Pietro (Remo Girone) to become the leader of the resistance against Victor Emmanuel II, promising him money and weapons. Thus Crocco joins the Bourbon side, forming an army composed mainly of poor people.

The brigand and his men conquer the Vulture region in the name of king Francis II, gaining the support of the local population. The new Italian government is worried about this rebellion and General Enrico Cialdini (Benoît Vallès) is assigned to suppress it. The repression is cruel; Cialdini orders the shooting of the brigands and anyone who deals with them, mass killings (where even women and children are not spared) and confiscation of basic necessities.

Meanwhile, the Bourbon government in exile sends the Spanish General José Borjes (Francesco Mazzini) to Basilicata, to reinforce and discipline the bands. Crocco does not trust Borjes from the start because he is worried about losing his leadership, but he accepts the alliance. After some victorious battles, Crocco breaks the alliance with Borjes because he does not want to serve under a foreigner.

Crocco's lieutenant, Caruso (Ennio Coltorti), betrays him hoping for clemency, revealing to the authorities the hideouts of the brigands. After his betrayal, Crocco's army suffers many casualties and many of his men are captured and executed by firing squad. In the face of a losing battle, the only way to save himself is escape.

Cast

Setting

Although the film is set in the Vulture area in Basilicata, it was filmed in Artena, in the province of Rome.[1]

Reception

Li chiamarono... briganti! received poor reviews and earned only 75 million lire.[2] It was suddenly withdrawn from cinemas for its low earning but for some writers like Lorenzo Del Boca, known for his revisionist books about the Italian unification, stated that It was boycotted to be watched by as few people as possible.[3] Adolfo Morganti, director of the publishing company Il Cerchio and national coordinator of the association Identità Europea, told that the "Medusa" company, owner of the film, refuses to assign the broadcasting rights.[4]

See also

References

  1. "Li chiamarono... briganti!". Imdb. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
  2. "Un piccolo film in pugliese incassa 200 milioni. E a Bari batte Pieraccioni". Corriere della sera. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
  3. Lorenzo Del Boca, Indietro Savoia!, Piemme, 2003, p. 233.
  4. (Italian) Italia, l’Unità che divide

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, January 21, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.