EARTHQUAKE [Region B]

In his other famous opus released two years later, “The Leopard”, Visconti will describe the decline of the Sicilian nobility, replaced by an affairist and trivial bourgeoisie. Here, closer to Vittorio de Sica, he is interested in the misery of the people of the Mezzogiorno in the post-war period. Fundamentally rooted in Italian neo-realism, “Rocco and His Brothers” tells an extraordinary family tragedy – reminiscent in some aspects of Coppola’s “The Godfather” – against the backdrop of a rural exodus of a family from southern Italy to the lure of the Lombard capital. This long fresco tells us about the difficulties faced by the members of this family of immigrants from the interior who have fled Basilicata and the psychological changes this causes in them.The starting point of the story is relatively simple: To escape poverty, a widow and four of her five sons move to Milan, where the fifth has just got engaged to Ginetta (Claudia Cardinale), a middle-class girl. They plan to be accommodated by the in-laws, who refuse for lack of space. They end up in a slum, in the basement of an ABR building.All the brothers are looking for work: Simone (excellent Renato Salvatori), Rocco (Alain Delon, touched by grace), Ciro and Luca (both more discreet). Simone becomes a boxer at the local club and aims for a professional career. He falls in love with Nadia (bright Annie Girardot), a 25-year-old prostitute who will never love him. She will finally fall in love with his brother Rocco, the same one who will be much more skillful with gloves in hand on the ring, leading Simone, jealous, into a black rage. But Rocco refuses any confrontation with his brother. As such, a terrible scene censored and reintegrated into this new version is the turning point of the film.However, to reduce “Rocco and his brothers” to this opposition between the two brothers would be to ignore Visconti’s cinematographic mastery. Thus, through the prism of this a priori Manichaean history, the director explores a plurality of social and political themes: the uprooting of a family from the south to the north of Italy, the living conditions of the industrial proletariat, the ambition, family honour and the hope of social elevation. A landscape of violence where the infinite tenderness of one and the bestial brutality of the other are opposed. Failed boxer, unhappy lover, Simone sinks into delinquency and crime: theft, rape, prostitution and murder.Every time, Rocco covers him and pays for him. In the end, he’s as guilty as his brother. Doesn’t he shout it himself at the end? Ciro sums up the essential theme of the film’s morality when he explains to Luca that Rocco is a saint, that he forgives everything, always, and that’s exactly what he shouldn’t have done with Simone. I totally share Ciro’s point of view: Rocco is as guilty as Simone, both are linked in the tragedy. Wherever and at all times, in the face of repeated and more and more brutal criminality, forgiveness and tolerance are not the answer; they only make things worse. A lesson that is still on today.Sublimated by a masterful photography and a perfectly balanced and restored black and white, the film unfolds a succession of photographic frames of extraordinary beauty and complexity (The shots of Salvatori and Girardot in their embrace or Delon and Girardot on the roof of the Duomo of Milan are among the most beautiful of this long film). To make the picture complete, there is added the nostalgia for the abandoned land, the “land of olive trees”, where Rocco dreams of returning.Only reservation: I remain a little doubtful about the overplaying of the Greek actress who plays the mamma, she comes on much too strong.In fine, “Rocco and His Brothers” is a very Christian film: “If you get hit on the right cheek, turn the other one again. ” But Visconti shows us at the same time the damage caused by masochistic guilt and by angelism in the face of indiscriminate and bestial violence. Finally, it illustrates the weight of the chains imposed on us by our family origins.

Very satisfied

I remember this fondly from growing up in the 70’s. We’re on a disaster movie mission at the moment and after working our way through the the usual suspects (airport box set, towering inferno, Poseidon), I came across this gem which I’d forgotten about. Special effects aren’t great (putting it mildly), unintentionally funny at the most in opportune moments and the usual 70’s rhetoric but it was worth it for the nostalgia. Absolutely fab.

'A WELL STAGED APOCALYPTIC MOVIE FROM YESTERYEAR' (A CLASSIC OF IT'S DAY)Watching films such as this have to be viewed realising that all the effects had to be staged using polystyreneand models, not having the benefit of the virtual reality today's technology brings to the screen.With a cast of many of the big-names of the day this apocalyptic movie was certainly a must-see back then, asthe returns at the box-office clearly shows.The film tells of a catastrophic 'Earthquake' in the Los Angeles region of California...........After a series of mini-quakes many begin to believe the 'Big-One' was imminent.......do the authorities cause wide-spread panic by making the findings of seismologists public.When the devastation occurs it see's people trapped in buildings people buried by falling debris...panic and confusion,with unlikely heroes emerging in the face of adversity including 'Graff's' (Charlton Heston) father-in-law 'Royce' (LorneGreene) who at great risk to himself helps many of his staff escape his badly damaged Office block.Many are drawn to an underground car-park where emergency measures are in-place including medical attention andfood, however after a strong after-shock those in the temporary shelter become trapped.'Graff' who's wife 'Remy' (Ava Gardner) and indeed lover 'Denise' (Genevieve Bujold) and son 'Corry' (Tiger Williams)are among those trapped is helped by LAPD Officer 'Slade' (George Kennedy)(a drunk brilliantly portrayed by 'Walter Matthau' barely felt the Earth move)However, the danger is not over for many of the trapped and indeed their heroic rescuers.The film was produced and released in 1974 given which the Blu-ray upgrade is actually pretty good, the special-effectsimpressive for that time......though many would argue perhaps a little dated....still worth a re-visit in my view.* Must admit, am looking forward to the special-effects blockbuster 'San-Andreas' though of course not wishing for thereality's of that particular 'Time-Bomb' which would of course be devastating for the highly populated region.

The special effects are still very striking (though sometimes it's clear when miniature sets are being used), which I suppose is the main draw for seeing this movie. There are actually very few truly sympathetic characters involved (least of all the central roles taken by Ava Gardner and Charlton Heston) - don't expect to feel much empathy for "morally dubious" characters in the way one might for the illicit lovers in Towering Inferno. But still, it has its thrills and is a good way to kill a rainy Sunday afternoon.