Mondo cane (1962)

Directors:

Paolo Cavara
Gualtiero Jacopetti
(more)

Writers:

Paolo Cavara (writer)
Gualtiero Jacopetti (writer)

Release Date:

30 March 1962 (Italy)

Genre:

Documentary

Tagline:

All The Scenes You Will See In This Film Are True And Taken Only From Life...If Often They Are Shocking It Is Because There Are Many Astounding, Even Unbelievable Things In This World

Plot:

The original "shockumentary" consisting of a collection of mostly real archive footage displaying mankind at its most depraved and perverse, displaying bizarre rituals, cruel behavior, and animal violence.

Plot Keywords:

Famous Score | Jojo Magic | Massage Parlor | Eating Insect | Drunk Scene

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Rossano Brazzi	...	Himself
Stefano Sibaldi	...	Narrator (voice)

Directed by
Paolo Cavara
Gualtiero Jacopetti
Franco Prosperi		(as Franco E. Prosperi)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Paolo Cavara		writer
Gualtiero Jacopetti		writer

Produced by
Gualtiero Jacopetti	....	producer

Original Music by
Riz Ortolani

Cinematography by
Antonio Climati
Benito Frattari

Film Editing by
Gualtiero Jacopetti

Music Department
Nino Oliviero	....	composer: song "More"

Production Companies

• Cineriz

Distributors

• Times Film Corporation (1963) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Cinemation Industries (1970) (USA) (theatrical) (retitled re-release) (dubbed)
• Blue Underground (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia Films (Spain)
• Prima Film (Canada) (re-release) (dubbed)
• Simitar Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS) (as "Tales of the Bizarre: Rites, Rituals and Superstitions")
• Tempo Films (1963) (Canada) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Vidcrest (1983) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

A Dog's Life
Mondo Cane No. 1 (USA) (reissue title)
Tales of the Bizarre: Rites, Rituals and Superstitions (USA) (video box title)

Runtime:

108 min | USA:97 min (re-release: 1970) | UK:91 min (cut)

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:X (re-rating: 1963) (cut) | UK:R (original rating: 1962) | USA:R | Finland:K-16 | Italy:VM18 | Norway:16 | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | West Germany:18 (nf) (w)

Filming Locations:

Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea

Company:

Cineriz

Trivia:

The film was initially rejected for UK cinema and only passed in 1963 after 14 minutes of cuts.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Final Journeys (1998) (V)

Soundtrack:

More

humorous and beautiful

Simply stunning images. Well-shot, and expertly edited for maximum effect. The shots of the Japanese guys massaging cow's asses were particularly incredible. Though much of the shock was lost due to the effects of passing time and the condescending commentary, it is still interesting to see (the foie- gras sequence should be enlightening for anyone who still eats the stuff). Mondo Cane may have kicked off the shock-reality genre, but it reads as an interesting exploration of normality, raising questions about difference and anthropological methods. Well worth the two hours...