It was one of those kinetic Saturday nights at the video store when all the new releases I had come for had already been rented. As I was about to leave, I spotted an Italian film I knew nothing about. Re-released in DVD I began to read the case notes. Yes, it was one of those old Italian films Lori and I have grown to love. A human story about a fisherman (Yves Montand), his work, family (son, Boré is remarkable) and people of his little fishing village.
Nevertheless, both Jonathan Demme and Dustin Hoffman had enough respect for the director, Gillo Pontecorvo, who also directed "The Battle of Algiers", to restore this 1957 classic and unknowingly rescue my Saturday night.
The wonderful cast:
Yves Montand .... Squarciò
Alida Valli .... Rosetta
Francisco Rabal .... Salvatore
Umberto Spadaro .... Gaspar Puggioni, 1st Coast Guard Officer
Peter Carsten .... Riva, 2nd Coast Guard Officer
Federica Ranchi .... Diana
Terence Hill .... Renato (as Mario Girotti)
Ronaldo Bonacchi .... Bore (as Ronaldino Bonacchi)
Giancarlo Soblone .... Tonino
Squarciò, a fisherman, lives with his family on a small island off the coast of Italy. Like his fellow villagers, Squarciò struggles against harsh living conditions, a scarcity of fish in nearby waters and exploitation by the local wholesaler. But while the other fishermen continue to use nets, he goes out to the open sea to fish illegally with bombs. But Squarciò borrows money, loses his boat, and in a moment of supreme desperation, has to bomb directly off-shore, causing the hatred and rejection of his fellow fishermen. Trying to save his family, Squarciò and his young sons sail their new boat out beyond the local waters and bomb-fish again. But this time, the sea exacts a terrible toll...
imdb.com
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