Francesco Rosi's cinema are around political matters, a tough subject too swallow for usual cinephiles, due the hard life which we lives are enough to stand, but some facts needs a better understanding as this picture suggests, how Sicily gets his independence from Italy is plentiful explained here, each facts were expose in this overlong picture, but Francesco wisely put forward a cursed triangle of forces, the mob, the separatists and the dangerous outlaws who help them in hope to get their crime's amnesty, after they got Sicily's autonomy starts another hard issue, the communist, such thing was totally inconceivable to Italian standards at it's time, a mass killing was prompt provides by the rich farmers and also by the mob, the Giuliano the leader almost didn't appears on the movie, his second on command and your fellows conrades in-arms were charged by the massacre, interesting picture over this dry land on Italy's south, the mountainous island Sicily !!!

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First watch: 2019 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8

There is a problem with this film. Bold, courageous and outspoken though it is, director Franco Rosi is somewhat held captive by his conflicting Communist Party and neorealist filmic leanings. Presented as a if a street reality he is caught between the style and the substance which is made far worse by the ambiguity of the central character, who we only see as a dead man. As a picture of post-war Sicily and its poverty stricken towns and labyrinthine streets it appears remarkable but as to who is doing what and for why much more confusing. I understand it was not just me who was confused, Giuliano himself appears to be a man of many faces and apart from often appearing to be a man of the people keen to wrestle his country from the hands of the Italian government, he went so far as to suggest it should become a part of the US. Rosi is therefore considerably conflicted here as with his background and beliefs, he is keen to bring a much more left orientated administration to the whole of Italy. Such is the result on film that we are presented with the main thrust of discontent and the evils of the State and judiciary and an implication that behind the scenes our hero had everyone's interest at heart. Bit sentimental you might say and a difficult watch.

Interesting neo-realistic, quasi-documentary film with notable editing. But did the film deserve the Best Director award at Berlin over Bergman's "Through a glass darkly"? The Swedish film was superior. Martin Scorsese likes it because he can identify with the Italian politics and sociology of that time. The Rosi film is good but overrated.