424 Mafioso

[hammock]

Not sure my lovely wife would appreciate me desperately hitting the pause button everytime they show unexpected boobs in a movie!

It distracted me so much that I missed about 5-6 minutes of the film and will have to watch again.

That's exactly what the pause button is for.

[Michael]

In Italy, every time you turn your head, you see different boobs or penises.

Made of stone or marble.

[Daze]

I just watched this on Turner Movie Classics. The aspect ratio switched from 1.66 to 1.33 during the showing. Criterion.com says "Mafioso is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1" on their DVD release.

I'm assuming that Criterion got it right and Turner botched it. Can anyone confirm this?

[CSM126]

Sounds a lot like a Dr. Strangelove situation - an open-matte presentation revealing some scenes to be hard-matted 1.66 and others to be Academy.

[Napier]

I know this doesn't belong in the Mafioso thread, but IFC showed Cleo from 5 to 7 yesterday. It kept switching between 1.85 and 1.33.Go figure.

[Jeff]

I know this doesn't belong in the Mafioso thread,but IFC showed Cleo from 5 to 7 yesterday.It kept switching between 1.85 and 1.33.Go figure.

Cléo should be 1.66, but both scenarios are very likely caused by exactly what CSM126 suggested. They are open-matte presentations revealing that some scenes were hard-matted in camera. For traditional pan-and-scan presentations, they would have zoomed or digitally cropped the hard-matted scenes. No idea why TCM would be showing Mafioso in an open-matte version though. The Rialto print that made the rounds last year was definitely 1.85, and the Criterion disc is as well.

[rohmerin]

Finally Mafioso arrived and I saw it yesterday. Pretty good film, but I preferred other Lattuada's films such as Il bandito (lovely neorealist, noir and melodrama mixed film with Amadeo Nazzari and Anna Magnani) , Il cappotto (a masterpiece) or La mandragola, the best erotic comedy film that I've seen in years. La mandragola is very close to Pasolini's decameron, but in a gorgeous black and white, set in 15th Florenze century, a very funny sex tale. Lovely film.

the interview made by Daniele Luchetti to Lattuada is poor. I wonder why a good director (Ginger and Cinnemon, My brother is only a child) had made a bad and superficial (and so much short) documentary aabout a great filmmaker. A great dissapointment.

[Awesome Welles]

I agree the Luchetti interview is very poor, it doesn't do anything at all, if it had been longer and well edited it may have been ok but the format in which Luchetti conducts his interview is terrible.

As for the film, I enjoyed it though I didn't expect such stark tonal shifts, though they are handled well. I think the ending was a bit abrupt but entirely expected, it couldn't end any other way which made it slightly less abrupt as my expectations were confirmed but emotionally I think a tad too soon, there should have been a bridge between the shots from Sicily to Milan (something similar to the crate from New York to Sicily), Lattuada was missing a visual motif here, perhaps a train would have sufficed.

I think it's a film that will improve with repeat viewings.

[TheRanchHand]

I just saw this for the first time last night myself. Italian and Japanese films have become quite a favorite of mine recently (watching The Leopard tonight). Mafioso was interesting and really liked a lot of it but was also surprised (but not disappointed) in the shift of tone. It may have thrown me a bit as I had aclamated to the lighter comedy to really adjust in time to the new direction. It was an interesting idea but maybe kept me from really enjoying this more.

Anyway, was glad I saw it though.

[Haggai]

When I first saw this film in its Rialto theatrical release, I remember there being a short group of pre-credit title cards about some of the Italian slang words used. They had a cheeky tone about how one should "never, EVER call someone a cornuto," or something like that. But there isn't anything like that on the DVD. Anyone else remember this, and/or know what happened between the theatrical release and the DVD?

[Wood Tick]

When I first saw this film in its Rialto theatrical release, I remember there being a short group of pre-credit title cards about some of the Italian slang words used. They had a cheeky tone about how one should "never, EVER call someone a cornuto," or something like that. But there isn't anything like that on the DVD. Anyone else remember this, and/or know what happened between the theatrical release and the DVD?

That bit is included in the subtitles selection on the main menu. On the subtitles screen is selection marked Intro. It's very brief, beginning with Attenzione singnore and signori... When it's over, the Rialto logo comes up, so it's most likely what you saw in the theater.

[Haggai]

Ah yes, there it is...I just checked on the DVD. You're exactly right; I missed it because I hadn't bothered to go to the subtitle menu when I watched the movie again on disc. Thanks!

[kinjitsu]

Mafioso will be shown along with eight other Sordi films at New York's Film Forum, October 3-9.

[Knappen]

Sordi rulez, man. Seeing Un americano a Roma was such a blast. I would have fallen off my chair with laughter if I wasn't laying in my bed.

"Maccheroni, m'hai provocato e io ti distruggo adesso, io me te magno."

[goodfelladh]

This is a first post for me on these boards and I thought I'd use it in a thread about Mafioso, as I literally do not know anybody else who has actually seen the film... so it's nice to find a place where there is some appreciation for it. I bought this movie on a whim when I came across this Criterion disc at Borders. I didn't really know anything about it, but bought it anyway. It is probably the best impulse buy I've ever made. I rate this as one of my all-time favorite films and among the best that were made in the 60s. I've never seen a movie that was able to move from an enjoyable, tongue-in-cheek comedy to a deadly serious drama so quickly and so effectively. And the movie looks incredible. Beautifully shot and the Criterion transfer is great.

At any rate, I wanted to take the opportunity to at least write something about an all-time favorite that I rarely get a chance to mention or discuss. I figured this was as good a place as any for my first post.

[dad1153]

Finally got around to watch my TCM recording of "Mafioso" over the weekend. I love it when I stumble on a movie I've never heard of (except that it was a Criterion title) and it knocks me completely on my back. Lattuada's "Mafioso" starts like a comedy of regional/social manners between big city folks and rural Italian villagers' lifestyles colliding, then pulls a complete 180 degree in its third act (which I did not see coming at all) that turns the movie into a dark morality tale. Alberto Sordi's take on his Antonio Badalamenti character is both simplistic but also complex in that Sordi plays both for big laughs and as the victim of his homeland's reputation (as seen later in "The Godfather" movies) dragging into the mud the very reason Nino came back (and brought his wife & daughters) to visit his folks. The guy's clearly smart-enough to make a good living at a car manufacturing plant in the big city. And yet Nino's not strong-enough characterwise to refuse the favor Don Vincenzo (Ugo Attanasio) is asking of him even though crap like that is the reason he left his hometown of Calamo in the first place. By the time he realizes what he has gotten himself into it's too late. I didn't find it too jarring to go from Nino being back to Sicily after the hit to being back in the Milan plant working again the following scene. The shot of Sordi crying in bed told me anything I needed to know about how his character felt. Except for unseen strenuous scenes of Antonio being serious while the wife and daughters acted happy during the return trip (which would have been unnecessary) there's nothing else that needed to be shown.

I enjoyed "Mafioso's" first two thirds more than the twist final act. As an immigrant from a third-world country living in the States since '89 that has gone back to my homeland to similar receptions from distant relatives I could both relate and recoil at the overt displays of affection the Sicilian family (the real one) bestows on Nino and his wife/daughters. Lattuada uses a Felliniesque-lite touch in populating the Badalamenti household with all sorts of odd and quirky characters/situations (the mustachioed sister, the outdoor living room arrangement, the chicken under the bed, etc.). This easy-going part of the movie only highlights the dour descent of the last act, which gives "Mafioso" a punch-in-the-gut kick that makes for a great first impression. Loved the black dude complaining of racism in the streets of NYC, a sign that Lattuada was as attuned with the USA's socio-political structure as much as that of his homeland (even if it was only to add brief tension to Antonio's tentativeness in executing Don Vincenzo's 'favor').

[zombeaner]

Finally got around to watch my TCM recording of "Mafioso" over the weekend. I love it when I stumble on a movie I've never heard of (except that it was a Criterion title) and it knocks me completely on my back.

This was my experience as well. I really enjoyed it. Not much else to say.

[Matt]

Out of print, effective March 31, 2013.

[Matt]

In the church scene where they praise the golden heart you will notice a pair of plastic tits hanging on the right side of Maria...What the hell were they doing there - what is the custom with this?

Well, why not go ahead and answer this five years later? It's common for pilgrims to Christian religious shrines, churches, etc. to leave tiny replicas of the body parts they are asking the saint to heal for themselves or others.