Wer erschoß Salvatore G.? (1962)

Wer erschoß Salvatore G.?: Directed by Francesco Rosi. With Salvo Randone, Frank Wolff, Pippo Agusta, Sennuccio Benelli. The unclear and complicated twists between governal powers, independentist party and Mafia in the Sicily of the ’40s culminate with the death of Salvatore Giuliano.

“Francesco Rosiu0026#39;s elliptical film about the notorious Sicilian gangster is quite stunning. This is not, however, a typical gangster film. This film is more about the lives of the people affected by Giuliano than about the gangster himself and this is given extra resonance by the casting of the real villagers in almost all cases. The fact that we never see Giulianou0026#39;s face makes the directoru0026#39;s intentions quite clear.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eGiuliano began his professional criminal career when he was caught stealing at a young age and chased out of his village into the surrounding hills where he formed a gang and made a living from robberies and standover tactics. He became feared and respected by the locals and was eventually recruited by regional officials to help in the fight for independence from Italy. The first half of the film explores these events and manages to convey an extremely strong feeling for the time and place. The second half of the film deals with the trial of the surviving members of Giulianou0026#39;s gang after his death and in doing so illuminates much of what has come before.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003enIt is remarkable how well the film holds together considering the amount of different styles and techniques that were combined in its creation. There are elements of docudrama, courtroom drama, Italian neorealism, crime story and political tract. It is also surprising how well it holds up over forty years later.”