Rocco e i suoi fratelli (1960)

User Rating:

8.3/10   

Director:

Luchino Visconti

Writers:

Luchino Visconti (scenario) &
Suso Cecchi d'Amico (story) ...

Release Date:

26 June 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot:

The widow Rosaria moves to Milano from Lucania with her 4 sons, one of whom is Rocco. The fifth son...

Plot Keywords:

Widow | Passion | Sicily Italy | Milan Italy | High Heels

Awards:

Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 8 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Alain Delon	...	Rocco Parondi
Renato Salvatori	...	Simone Parondi
Annie Girardot	...	Nadia
Katina Paxinou	...	Rosaria Parondi
Alessandra Panaro	...	Ciro's Fiancee
Spiros Focás	...	Vincenzo Parondi (as Spiros Focas)
Max Cartier	...	Ciro Parondi
Corrado Pani	...	Ivo
Rocco Vidolazzi	...	Luca Parondi
Claudia Mori	...	Laundrey Worker
Adriana Asti	...	Laundrey Worker
Enzo Fiermonte	...	Boxer
Nino Castelnuovo	...	Nino Rossi
Rosario Borelli	...	Un biscazziere
Renato Terra	...	Alfredo, Ginetta's brother

Also Known As:

Rocco and His Brothers (UK) (USA)
Rocco et ses frères (France)

Runtime:

Spain:168 min (DVD edition) | Italy:177 min

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1962) | Finland:K-16 (uncut) (1985) | Italy:VM14 (restored version) | Germany:16 (DVD rating) | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved | West Germany:18 (w) | UK:15 (video rating) (1991) | UK:X (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Bellagio, Como, Lombardia, Italy

Company:

Titanus

Trivia:

Despite the censorship problems - or perhaps because of them - the film was a big commercial success in its native Italy.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Astérix aux jeux olympiques (2008)

Soundtrack:

La piu bella del mondo

WOW! Terrific Epic Scale Family Drama, Visconti's Best!

Now I understand why Visconti regards this classic as his personal favorite!!

Overwhelmingly Terrific! The acting, design, music, cinematography, and especially direction are superb.

This epic, grand, personal, and highly dramatic tale of five brothers and their mother who move from Southern Italy to Milan to change their station in life is filled with wonderful vignettes and powerful set pieces.

The fight between two of the brothers in the slums of the city is one of the most harrowing and touching scenes ever in cinema history. This is the kind of fight which actually means something. When they hit each other you feel it down to the core of your being, not just watching mindless brutality like you would in some brainless movie.

The cast is uniformly good with standouts from Katina Paxinou as the long suffering mother, Annie Girardot as the doomed prostitute who is the catalyst of the story, and especially Alain Delon who is blessed with a cinematic beauty which adds poetry to everyone of his close-ups. The one actor who really surprised me was Renato Salvatori as the violent brother Simone. His gradual and completely believable change from sweet young man to violent brute is incredible to watch.

This film satisfies every true movie lovers dream. To visit a place you don't know, with characters who fascinate you, and are framed in a true CINEMATIC style, that succeeds on every level.

GO SEE THIS MOVIE!! I will add my voice to those who cry out for the DVD release of this true classic.