THE BEST OF ENEMIES

Italy, 1962, 104 minutes, Colour.
Alberto Sordi, David Niven, Michael Wilding, Harry Andrews, Noel Harrison, Ronald Fraser, Bernard Cribbins, Duncan Macrae, Michael Trubshawe, David Opatoshu, Amedeo Nazzari.
Directed by Guy Hamilton.

The Best of Enemies was written by Suso Cecchi D'Amico, veteran screenwriter of many Italian films for classic directors like Fellini. However, this film was directed by Guy Hamilton, a British director who had made a number of interesting small films in the 1950s including An Inspector Calls and The Colditz Story. He was to go on to make Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever, Live and Let Die and The Man with the Golden Gun as well as Battle of Britain and two Agatha Christie stories, Evil Under the Sun and The Mirror Crack’d.

The film is set in north Africa during World War Two, a battle of wits as well as a battle of arms between a British commander and an Italian commander. David Niven versus Alberto Sordi. The film shows both squads – even, eventually, playing football. To this extent, the film is critical of war, wants to show the nature of common humanity, with serious episodes as well as comic episodes.

There is a strong British supporting cast led by Michael Wilding and a strong Italian supporting cast led by Amedeo Nazzari. The film won a Golden Globe in 1962 for best foreign language film – and also received a nomination for the film best promoting international cooperation.

1. The significance of the title and its irony on friendship and enmity? A war film. of the early 60s? Its purpose for presenting the war, criticising war? How effectively?

2. The use of wide screen and colour, African locations, the irony of the musical themes often making the points?

3. Why were Italians and English chosen to represent this kind of clash? Why the World War II setting for the points being made about enmity and its futility?

4. The presentation of the British characters? how accurate and how much parody in the presentation of the stiff Englishmen, their hard attitudes the appropriateness of playing the game and keeping up appearances, the lack of external emotion?

5. How expected was the presentation of the Italian attitude: the emphasis on reputation, on cowardice, on emotivity, on rising to the occasion?

6. What did the film say about war being waged by national attitudes? How much did these particular characteristics influence what happened? The presentation of the English: the mission, the pilot and his daredevil attitudes, trying to scare the Italians who were considered beneath them, arrogance even at arrest? The character of Richardson and what he represented?

8. Richardson as a prisoner and his continued arrogance, the return of the mission even after he had been allowed to escape, the continual blows to his pride urging him on even when his feelings moved in the opposite direction? The irony of his capturing and being captured?

9. The contrast with the Italians, the Italian leader feeling sick, not so proud, allowing the English to escape, disappointed at their return, tricking the English e.g. with the escape from the fort? How wily were the Italians?

10. The importance of the mutual chase the goat, the burning and everybody landing on the island? The growing need for mutual help for survival and the comment of this on war?

11. Their experiences together and the growing mutual respect and help? The ambiguity of the resolution? The English winning yet standing by and saluting, the Italians being prisoners but keeping dignity? What comment did these final sequences make on war, anti-war?