Cinema
Rocco and His Brothers
Rocco e i suoi fratelli
Luchino Visconti · 1960
Synopsis
Rosaria Parondi, a widow, leaves Lucania for Milan with four of her sons and joins the eldest, Vincenzo, who is already settled in the city. Each looks for his own way: Simone takes up boxing and becomes involved with Nadia, a prostitute, Ciro finds work at the factory, and Rocco, back from military service, in turn becomes attached to Nadia. The rivalry between Simone and Rocco begins.
Context
The story is inspired in part by texts by Giovanni Testori. The screenplay is by Visconti, Suso Cecchi d'Amico, Pasquale Festa Campanile and Enrico Medioli, the cinematography by Giuseppe Rotunno, the music by Nino Rota. Alain Delon plays Rocco, Renato Salvatori Simone, Annie Girardot Nadia and Katina Paxinou the mother, with Claudia Cardinale. On its release, the censors had several scenes darkened and others cut. It has been restored in 4K by the Cineteca di Bologna, with TF1, Titanus and the Film Foundation, and was presented at Cannes Classics in 2015.
Who it is for
Nearly three hours, in Italian. A family fresco about emigration from the South to the industrial North.
Prizes and reception
Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival in 1960; Martin Scorsese regards it as one of the most sumptuous black-and-white films.
Sources for this page 4
The pages consulted to check this page.