The Secret of Santa Vittoria
by Stanley Kramer
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DVD details
Actor: Anna Magnani, Anthony Quinn, Hardy Krüger, Sergio Franchi, Virna LisiDirector: Stanley Kramer
Brand: Sony
Cinematographer: Giuseppe Rotunno
Producer: Stanley Kramer
Editor: Earle Herdan
Producer: George Glass
Writer: Ben Maddow
Writer: Robert Crichton
Writer: William Rose
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 1.0; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 1.0
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 139 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-05-13
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: United Artists
DVD Reviews of The Secret of Santa Vittoria
DVD Review: A Million Minus One
Summary: 5 Stars
As an avid reader, I stumbled across Robert Crichton's book, "The Secret of Santa Vittoria," years ago. It spent nearly a year on the NY Times bestseller list, but is now hard to find and virtually forgotten. What a treat, then, to discover this classic film based on the novel. I could give a million reasons for enjoying this movie--minus one, which I'll explain shortly.
Set during World War II, in the days after Mussolini's demise, "The Secret of Vittoria" follows the antics of a small Italian township as they attempt to protect their greatest treasure from the Nazis, a collection of one million bottles of their local wine. Anthony Quinn plays the role of Italo Bombolini, a bumbling drunkard, the town clown, who can barely stand up to his own wife, Rosa. Rosa is the voice of reason in the film, giving it the realism to keep it from swerving into the maudlin or slapstick (although she is very much a part of the comedy). As the Nazis near, Bombolini must enlist his fellow citizens in helping hide the wine, and must deal with his 16-year-old daughter's passion for a local boy. Most difficult of all, though, he must earn back the respect of his wife and keep her sharp tongue from ruining the town's plans. Along the way, the secret of the town is threatened also by the presence of a beautiful, high-society woman, an injured Italian soldier, and the damaged pride of a Nazi captain.
Directed by the same man who did the comedy "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World," this movie is full of humor, political and religious sidebars, romantic interludes, and a bit of suspense. The actors bring vitality to each scene, sometimes larger-than-life, yet never going all the way over the top. It's a fine line, and they handle it to perfection. My only complain, my one caveat, is that the Nazis, while being clever and persistent in their efforts, never give us reason to truly fear them. In this sort of heartwarming film, it would be difficult to pull off this necessary realism, but it might have given more impact to the final half hour. Nevertheless, I adored the ingenuity and the surprising ability of one town fool to rise to the occasion, to face down his adversaries both in public and at home, and to never resort to the very violence with which he was faced.
Viva Bombolini!
Description of The Secret of Santa Vittoria
SECRET OF SANTA VITTORIA - DVD MovieThe bestseller from The Great Impostor's Robert Crichton inspired this leisurely serio-comedy, which takes up where Bernardo Bertolucci's The Conformist left off--with the death of Benito Mussolini. The dictator's departure should come as good news for the hilltop town of Santa Vittoria, but new problems lay ahead (Federico Fellini favorite Giuseppe Rotunno shot the sun-drenched movie in Italy). Feeling betrayed by Il Duce, wine merchant Italo Bombolini (La Strada's Anthony Quinn) drinks his disappointment away to the consternation of his rolling pin-wielding wife, Rosa (The Rose Tattoo's Anna Magnani). Nonetheless, the townspeople like the "drunken, stupid clown," as Rosa calls him, enough that they appoint Bombolini mayor. To prepare him for duty, the college-educated Fabio (Swept Away's Giancarlo Giannini) introduces the new civic leader to Machiavelli, who wrote, "Things are never what they seem." When Fabio brings news that the Nazis plan to raid their wine reserves, Bombolini and Tufa (Sergio Franchi), a former soldier, heed those words and arrange to hide one million bottles in a Roman cave. Capt. Von Prum (Hardy Krüger) suspects subterfuge, and orders a search of every nook and cranny, while attempting to woo war widow Contessa Caterina (Queen Margot?s Virna Lisi). At 139 minutes, Judgment at Nuremberg producer/director Stanley Kramer?s Golden Globe-winning picture seems longer than necessary, but Quinn, Magnani, and Krüger provide just enough nuance to prevent their characters from slipping into caricature, and the film?s celebration of solidarity lends it an enduring appeal. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
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