Cinema
Ugly, Dirty and Bad
Brutti, sporchi e cattivi
Ettore Scola · 1976
Synopsis
In a shantytown on the outskirts of Rome, a family from Apulia is crammed into a single shack. The patriarch, Giacinto, has lost an eye and received an insurance payout for the injury; he hides it, refuses to share any of it and bullies his family, who are watching for the money. One day, he brings a prostitute home.
Context
The filmmaker first wanted to shoot a documentary on the Roman shantytowns, for which Pier Paolo Pasolini had agreed to write a preface; the project became a fiction. The shantytown was rebuilt on a hill from which the dome of St Peter's can be seen. Nino Manfredi plays Giacinto Mazzatella, the patriarch, surrounded by professional actors and residents of the city's poor neighbourhoods.
Who it is for
Nearly two hours, in Italian. A satire of urban poverty, crude and often violent, which refuses to idealise the poor.
Prizes and reception
Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1976; much debated on its release for its unsparing portrayal of the poor.
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