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Salvatore Giuliano
1962 119 min Italy 12+
★7.6
Crime, Drama, History
Director: Francesco Rosi
Trailers
Description
Sicilian bandit Salvatore Giuliano's bullet-riddled corpse is found facedown in a courtyard in Castelvetrano, a handgun and rifle by his side. Local and international press descend upon the scene, hoping to crack open the true story behind the death of this young man, who, at the age of twenty-seven, had already become Italy’s most wanted criminal and celebrated hero.
Starring
Frank Wolff
Actor
Salvo Randone
Actor
Frederico Zardi
Actor
Awards
Berlin International Film Festival 1962
— Silver Bear – Best Director
Berlin International Film Festival 1962
— Golden Bear
Key opinion
Francesco Rosi’s Salvatore Giuliano is widely lauded as a masterful, documentary-style exploration of Sicilian political history. By eschewing Hollywood melodrama in favor of a cold, analytical examination of the bandit's myth, the film serves as a potent investigative thriller.
| Cinematography | The documentary-like, black-and-white visual style brings a stark, neorealist authenticity to the historical narrative. | |
| Direction | Rosi’s precise direction avoids sensationalist tropes, successfully deconstructing the complex myth surrounding the bandit's life and death. | |
| Screenplay | The film’s rigorous focus on the intersections of the Mafia, police, and political betrayal creates a compelling political thriller. | |
| Production | The use of location shooting and non-professional actors who personally knew the subject lends the production an unparalleled sense of realism. | |
| Score | The nerve-straining musical score effectively heightens the film's tense, analytical atmosphere. |