ROCCO AND HIS BROTHERS
Italy, 1961, 170 minutes, Black and White.
Alain Delon, Renato Salvatore, Annie Girardot, Katina Paxinou, Claudia Cardinale, Robert Hanin, Paolo Stoppa.
Directed by Luchino Visconti.
Rocco and His Brothers has generally been acclaimed as one of Visconti's very best films. It was made mainly for Italians rather than for an international market as have some of his more recent films like - The Leopard (1963); The Damned (1969); Death in Venice (1971). As a picture of Italian life in the 1950's and 60's it is excellent.
The film is in five parts - corresponding to each of Signora Parondi's five sons - but is continuous in its action ranging over five different personalities -the conventional, the failure, the saint, the self-made success and the younger brother. They are all in some way under the influence of their emotional but strong-minded mother. Nadia, a prostitute with a prison record, is the feminine influence in their lives, a tragic figure who was redeemable but ultimately damned for the purest of motives. Katina Paxinou embodies the strong Italian mother in her performance as Signora Parondi. Renato Salvatore is excellent as the wayward son, Simone. (He was one of the assassins in Z.)
Alain Delon (in his young days) plays the part of Rocco, the good brother. He plays it well, but it is hard to get the tough Delon image out of one's mind. Annie Girardot, a noted continental actress, gives a fine performance as Nadia. At the end, the family becomes 'typically' emotional in its outbursts, but most audiences of non-Italians who appreciate good drama, will find this a very worthwhile experience.
1. Was this film a good contribution to the understanding of the Italian and Italy of the 1950's and I960's Why?
2. Did Visconti create a strong sense of the setting and environment in which the action takes place?
3. What was your first impression of the Parondi family? Was it evident that they were from the south and unused to the city?
4. Why did the family squabbles loom so large at the opening of the film? What did it reveal about Rosaria Parondi and her sons? Was Rosaria too strong an influence in their lives?
5. Visconti divides the film into chapters tracing the life of the family by focussing attention on a particular son. Was this a satisfactory style?
a) Vincenzo - conventional. Was he a leader as the eldest son? His relationship with Giannetta and her family? What were his responsibilities?
b) Simone - pleasant, easy-going; friendship with Rocco, relationship
with Nadia? Did he love her? Raping Nadia and beating Rocco? In what way did Nadia's death affect him? What did he expect from his family? Should he have gone to gaol, was this best for him?
c) Rocco - pleasant and quiet, awkward, considerate to his mother ? His willingness in helping Simone, reaction to Nadia? Sacrificing his life to help Simone, should he have done this? Was he, in practice, a saint?
d) Giro - the self-made son, hard-working, unimaginative, staying home,
mother's pride, ordinary fiancee. Was he right to call the police for o Simone? What aspect of humanity did he represent in the film?
e) Luca - youngest, relationship to his brothers and mother, to Nadia? What future was there in him for the Parondi family?
6. Signora Parondi - her good qualities? Did she have a happy life?
7. Nadia - did you like her? Was she an unhappy person important for the film?
8. Did the issues of people who loved the south and had to leave it come out clearly in the film?
