Masters like Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola have been duly celebrated for their highly individual styles as well as their formidable films. Idiosyncratic and unmistakable artists among themselves who, even so, can find common roots in some spheres of classic cinema, such as the Italian neo-realist current. An entirely understandable influence.
The fact is that today we want to talk about the kind of film where you can find details of both. the class of masterful work that inevitably marks whoever sees it And it is completely inspiring. An essential classic jewel that can be found on a platform like FlixOlé and today we strongly recommend it. Is about ‘Rock and his brothers‘, by Luchino Visconti.
the eternal fight
The film takes us to the metropolitan area of Milan, following a family that leaves their hometown in southern Italy in seeking employment and economic opportunities that are denied to them. A mother and her four children, one of them is gifted for boxing, even without being a great passion for him. A talent that is taken advantage of given the connections to the world that the older brother maintains. In between, there will also be turbulent romances that will complicate family stability.
It was a complicated birth movie. Visconti, a communist and homosexual as well as an aristocrat, wanted to make a portrait of the miseries of his country beyond the opulence that surrounded him. The portrayal of movements from impoverished regions to cities was frowned upon by censorship authorities who tried to torpedo the film.
she was not the only one opposition encountered by Visconti to carry out the project. Filming of a crucial scene in the recreational area of the lake was denied to avoid similarities with a major crime involving a prostitute in that area, moving the production to the Lazio region. Scenes had to be redoubled to change the name of a character to avoid reprisals from a local judge who had the same name.
‘Rocco and his brothers’: family tragedy
But he managed to keep much of his vision intact to make one of the largest neorealist pieces ever created. A brilliant melodrama about brothers, lust and immigration, plus a twist on the Hollywood boxing movies of the previous decade. Three hours of exciting story beautifully developed and with an incredible Alain Delon in the main role.
It’s easy to see the traits that will later influence for the aforementioned filmmakers. ‘Raging Bull’ shares his particular approach to boxing cinema and sibling relationships, apart from the beautiful black and white photography. ‘The Godfather’ shows the same ability to show family tragedies and also shares the use of the camera focusing the center between two characters to absorb the emotional force.
This way of influencing filmmakers as massive and infinitely remembered as these should be enough of an argument to give a chance to a classic of Italian cinema. And if not, let it at least be the warm recommendation that I make from here, because before you know it this family has captivated you.