Italy Movie Tour 
District: Campania
Province: Caserta (CE)
Locations:
Date: 2016-10-28
The Great War by Mario Monicelli is 57 years old
On October 28, 1959 came out on the screens The great war directed by Mario Monicelli and produced by Dino De Laurentiis.
In early September of the same year the film was presented at the International Film Festival of Venice.
The Great War is one of the great masterpieces of Italian and international cinema.
It was included in the list of 100 Italian films to save.
The film was also a blockbuster. The box-office takings were estimated about one and a half billion liras between 1959 and 1960.
Abroad he recorded a great success, especially in France. René Clair, one of the great masters of cinema, called it "an extraordinary film."
The plot
It's 1916. Storms the Great War.
Starring in the film are two infantrymen: Oreste Jacovacci, roman and John Busacca, milanese.
They are different in everything, but united by the lack of ideals and the desire to emerge unscathed from the war.
After numerous adventures are captured by the Austrians. In order to save themselves, they would not hesitate to give to the enemy military informations about the Italian counterattack on the Piave. But in the end, in front of the arrogance and disregard shown by Austrian officers for Italians, they rebel.
They are part of the history of cinema the words of Gassman - Busacca addressed to the Austrian colonel: "... . Considering that you speak so, I won't say you a nice anthing, face shit ... .."
Both were shot and died regaining their dignity.
Soon the Italian army won the battle, but no one knew the sacrifice of those two soldiers.
They died to not betray their country, but in the common memory they remained anchored to the old image.
The discussions about the movie
The film effectively combines comedy and tragedy. There are striking images, figures that confront the war with their weaknesses and their human frailty.
Perhaps because of this way of telling the war, there were strong controversies about the movie.
At the time they were published several articles in which Monicelli and De Laurentis were accused of anti-patriotism, of harming the image of those who sacrificed themselves to the borders of Italy.
These controversies involved even military leaders and the then Defense Minister Giulio Andreotti had to intervene to silence them.
To journalist of "La Stampa" who in June 1959 asked him the reason of so many preventive controversy about the film, Monicelli responded with great balance. "I do not know. Mine is a film glorifying the heroism of two Italian soldiers. Only it is not rhetorical. In war there are not only heroes like you see them in rhetorical film. .......... Often the true unsung heroes are the humble and weak men. Are those with a strong humanity, and for this reason classified cowards. My film wants to show instead that certain men, with all their faults, their weaknesses are able in certain circumstances to perform acts of heroism ".
The cast
The main protagonists of the film are Alberto Sordi and Vittorio Gassman.
Alberto Sordi among other things a few years earlier had participated in the same places in the shooting of the film Farewell to Arms by Charles Vidor.
Silvana Mangano is the female lead. She plays a vivandière in love with Gassman.
Among the other performers Romolo Valli, Folco Lulli, Mario Valdemarin, Livio Lorenzon, Bernard Blier, Tiberio Murgia, Vazzoler Elsa, Tiberio Mitri, Nicola Arigliano.
Info about the movie
Story and screenplay are by Mario Monicelli, Age & Scarpelli, Luciano Vincenzoni.
The photography is by Leonida Barboni, Roberto Gerardi Giuseppe Rotunno, Giuseppe Serrandi.
Music by Nino Rota, scenography by Mario Garbuglia, the costumes by Danilo Donati, montage by Adriana Novelli.
The locations
The scenes were filmed mostly in Friuli Venezia Giulia.
In particular in the province of Udine, in Gemona del Friuli, Venzone, in St. Agnes Sella, in the fortress of Palmanova, Nespoledo of Lestizza and in Sacile in the province of Pordenone.
Some scenes were filmed in Campania in San Pietro Infine (CE).
In Lazio along the creek Farfa between Fara in Sabina and Montopoli of Sabina.
The scene of the shooting and the final scene of the movie took place at the Castellaccio of Monteroni in Ladispoli in the province of Rome.
Awards
Golden Lion for the best film ex aequo with General della Rovere by Roberto Rossellini at the International Film Festival of Venice
David di Donatello: Best producer Dino De Laurentiis; Best actor Vittorio Gassman; Best Actor Alberto Sordi.
Silver Ribbon: Best Actor Alberto Sordi; Best Production Design Mario Garbuglia
Oscar: Nominated Best Foreign Film (Italy)
Trailer
The Great War by Mario Monicelli is 57 years old
Image
On October 28, 1959 came out on the screens The great war directed by Mario Monicelli and produced by Dino De Laurentiis.
In early September of the same year the film was presented at the International Film Festival of Venice.
The Great War is one of the great masterpieces of Italian and international cinema.
It was included in the list of 100 Italian films to save.
The film was also a blockbuster. The box-office takings were estimated about one and a half billion liras between 1959 and 1960.
Abroad he recorded a great success, especially in France. René Clair, one of the great masters of cinema, called it "an extraordinary film."
The plot
Image
It's 1916. Storms the Great War.
Starring in the film are two infantrymen: Oreste Jacovacci, roman and John Busacca, milanese.
They are different in everything, but united by the lack of ideals and the desire to emerge unscathed from the war.
After numerous adventures are captured by the Austrians. In order to save themselves, they would not hesitate to give to the enemy military informations about the Italian counterattack on the Piave. But in the end, in front of the arrogance and disregard shown by Austrian officers for Italians, they rebel.
They are part of the history of cinema the words of Gassman - Busacca addressed to the Austrian colonel: "... . Considering that you speak so, I won't say you a nice anthing, face shit ... .."
Both were shot and died regaining their dignity.
Soon the Italian army won the battle, but no one knew the sacrifice of those two soldiers.
They died to not betray their country, but in the common memory they remained anchored to the old image.
The discussions about the movie
The film effectively combines comedy and tragedy. There are striking images, figures that confront the war with their weaknesses and their human frailty.
Perhaps because of this way of telling the war, there were strong controversies about the movie.
At the time they were published several articles in which Monicelli and De Laurentis were accused of anti-patriotism, of harming the image of those who sacrificed themselves to the borders of Italy.
These controversies involved even military leaders and the then Defense Minister Giulio Andreotti had to intervene to silence them.
To journalist of "La Stampa" who in June 1959 asked him the reason of so many preventive controversy about the film, Monicelli responded with great balance. "I do not know. Mine is a film glorifying the heroism of two Italian soldiers. Only it is not rhetorical. In war there are not only heroes like you see them in rhetorical film. .......... Often the true unsung heroes are the humble and weak men. Are those with a strong humanity, and for this reason classified cowards. My film wants to show instead that certain men, with all their faults, their weaknesses are able in certain circumstances to perform acts of heroism ".
the cast
Picture the great war 1
The main protagonists of the film are Alberto Sordi and Vittorio Gassman.
Alberto Sordi among other things a few years earlier had participated in the same places in the shooting of the film Farewell to Arms by Charles Vidor.
Silvana Mangano is the female lead. She plays a vivandière in love with Gassman.
Among the other performers Romolo Valli, Folco Lulli, Mario Valdemarin, Livio Lorenzon, Bernard Blier, Tiberio Murgia, Vazzoler Elsa, Tiberio Mitri, NicolA Arigliano.
Info on the film
Story and screenplay are by Mario Monicelli, Age & Scarpelli, Luciano Vincenzoni.
The photography is by Leonida Barboni, Roberto Gerardi Giuseppe Rotunno, Giuseppe Serrandi.
Music by Nino Rota, scenography by Mario Garbuglia, the costumes by Danilo Donati, montage by Adriana Novelli.
The locations
The scenes were filmed mostly in Friuli Venezia Giulia.
In particular in the province of Udine, in Gemona del Friuli, Venzone, in St. Agnes Sella, in the fortress of Palmanova, Nespoledo of Lestizza and in Sacile in the province of Pordenone.
Some scenes were filmed in Campania in San Pietro Infine (EC).
In Lazio along the creek Farfa between Fara in Sabina and Montopoli of Sabina.
The scene of the shooting and the final scene of the movie took place at the Castellaccio of Monteroni in Ladispoli in the province of Rome.
Awards
Golden Lion for the best film ex aequo with General della Rovere by Roberto Rossellini at the International Film Festival of Venice
David di Donatello: Best producer Dino De Laurentiis; Best actor Vittorio Gassman; Best Actor Alberto Sordi.
Silver Ribbon: Best Actor Alberto Sordi; Best Production Design Mario Garbuglia
Oscar: Nominated Best Foreign Film (Italy)
Trailer
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