Addio zio Tom (1971)

Directors:

Gualtiero Jacopetti
Franco Prosperi

Writers:

Gualtiero Jacopetti (writer)
Franco Prosperi (writer)

Release Date:

30 September 1971 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

300 years of hate explode today!

Plot:

Two documentary filmmakers go back in time to the pre-Civil War American South, to film the slave trade. |

Plot Keywords:

Mondo Film | Fake Documentary | Racism | Slavery | Mondo

Cast

Gualtiero Jacopetti	...	Himself
Franco Prosperi	...	Himself

Directed by
Gualtiero Jacopetti
Franco Prosperi

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Gualtiero Jacopetti		writer
Franco Prosperi		writer

Produced by
Gualtiero Jacopetti	....	producer
Franco Prosperi	....	producer

Original Music by
Riz Ortolani

Cinematography by
Claudio Cirillo
Antonio Climati
Benito Frattari

Film Editing by
Gualtiero Jacopetti

Costume Design by
Kathryn Snedeker

Production Management
Annamaria Ambrosi	....	production supervisor: USA
Giampaolo Lomi	....	production manager
Marcello Tranchini	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Federico Abussi	....	assistant director
Giampaolo Lomi	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Fausto Ancillai	....	sound mixer
Carlo Diotavelli	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Franco Abussi	....	camera operator (as Francesco Abussi)
Bruno Angeletti	....	chief electrician
Ennio Marzocchini	....	assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lunella Surdi	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Ken Dewey	....	post-production: US version
Tom Kennedy	....	post-production: US version
Luciana Scandroglio	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Giorgio Agazzi	....	music editor

Other crew
Margherita Autuori	....	unit publicist (as Rossetti)
Enrico Lucherini	....	unit publicist (as Lucherini)
Matteo Spinola	....	unit publicist (as Spinola)

Production Companies

• Euro International Film (EIA)

Distributors

• Cannon Film Distributors (1972) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Cinecenta Film Distributors (1973) (UK) (theatrical) (as "Uncle Tom")
• Galinza Films S.A. (1980) (Spain) (theatrical) (as "Adiós Tío Tom")
• Blue Underground (2003) (USA) (DVD) (director's cut) (English version)
• Cinefear (????) (USA) (VHS)
• EuroVideo (????) (West Germany) (VHS) (as "Addio Onkel Tom")
• Shocking Videos (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Spike K.K. (????) (Japan) (DVD) (as "Yakopetti no zankoku tairiku")
• Spike K.K. (????) (Japan) (VHS) (as "Yakopetti no zankoku tairiku")
• Video Classics Gold (????) (Australia) (VHS)
• Video Screen Play (VSP) (????) (Greece) (VHS) (as "Uncle Tom")

Also Known As:

Farewell Uncle Tom (Australia) (video box title)
Goodbye Uncle Tom (International: English title)
Uncle Tom (International: English title)
White Devil: Black Hell (USA) (X-rated version)
Zio Tom (Italy) (alternative title)

Runtime:

136 min | USA:123 min | Argentina:108 min | UK:94 min | Australia:128 min | Canada:103 min (Québec)

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:16 | UK:X (heavily cut) | USA:X (heavily cut) | Finland:K-18 (heavily cut) (1976) | Australia:R | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Italy:VM18 | Spain:18

Filming Locations:

Florida, USA

Company:

Euro International Film (EIA)

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Geheime Kino, Das (2007)

Probably closer to the truth than any other film about slavery, ever..

When I first saw GOODBYE UNCLE TOM several years ago on a muddy bootleg, the level of production value that went into this "shockumentary" impressed me. I was amazed that the filmmakers were able to corral literally hundreds of Black people into degrading and de-humanizing reenactments of various aspects of slavery. But I also understood that this was a very special film for that exact reason. Unlike American films about slavery, it makes no effort to excuse or sugarcoat this heinous act. Like the opening of Bunuel's Un Chien Andalou, the filmmakers intent is to force you to open your eyes to the truthful horrors of this 400 year old practice.

The premise of the film is brilliant--an Italian documentary film crew is transported "back in time" to interview and bear witness to American Slavery on all levels--from rich slave owners, to the "veterinarian" who must clean and delouse the slaves, to the poor whites who don't own slaves but invade their quarters for the purposes of rape this movie holds nothing back, etc. It loses points for some gratuitous nudity and violence (Mandingo, anyone?), and it's contemporary ending (which tries to connect the Black Power movement and the Nat Turner 1831 slave revolt) is somewhat muddled and clearly designed to leave viewers terrified. The concept that Black men still hate white people but crave their women but would prefer to kill them rather than make love to them is an idea better tackled in the film version of Baraka's DUTCHMAN. If the film were made a few years later it might end by raising the question of whether or not Black are still enslaved--not by carnal lust, but in a prison of the mind.

But the recent DVD release of this film (and its Director's Cut) brings to light two things the shoddy bootlegs didn't. (1) Unlike typical grindhouse exploitation, this is first and foremost a work of art--the opening shot, taken from a helicopter flying over a plantation over a field of slaves, then drawing low enough to blow away the bales of cotton and causing the slaves to flee in glee is GENIUS. Every image and idea is incredibly thought out. The score is up there with the best of Morricone and Rota . The photography and widescreen compositions are top-notch.

However, it is unsettling to discover (2), most of the film was shot in Haiti with the full cooperation of mercenary dictator "Papa Doc" Duvaluier and the Tontons Macoutes (who probably had no problem getting hundreds of Hatian natives willing to degrade and dehumanize themselves for the purpose of making a film). ). In the end, this is a painful film to watch on many levels, but deserves to be seen alongside Alex Haley's ROOTS. 8.5/10 Stars.