“Mafioso” isn’t riotously funny, but has its fair share of laughs.
A more universal theme is the conflict between urban and rural cultures which run on entirely different time scales. In Milan, Nino´s factory runs on a rigid schedule; punch in, punch out. And he has to rush the family to catch the boat on time. Once in Sicily, though, clocks and watches disappear in favor of a day that ambles along in no particular hurry to get anywhere, content to just stop and rest in the sun for a spell. Progress is the goal in Milan, pure anathema in Sicily where traditional values (such as they are) preserve a sense of time and space that never changes.
While some of the regional humor is lost in translation, Sordi´s performance crosses all cultures. "Mafioso" isn´t riotously funny, but has its fair share of laughs. It also functions as a much-needed palliative to the romanticized image of Sicilian mob culture portrayed in "The Godfather." Here, Lattuada and his screenwriters out "omertà" as pure bullshit, not so much a code of honor as an excuse for boys to play with their toys.
Video
The film is presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. This transfer is very strong even by Criterion standards. I can´t find a single thing to complain about. What can I say? Criterion just doesn´t leave me anything to write about these days. Darn near perfect.
Audio
The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital Mono. Optional English subtitles support the Italian audio.
Extras
The single-disc release includes several short interviews.
The best of the group is "Ritratti d´autore" (17 min), a 1996 interview with director Alberto Lattuada by filmmaker Daniele Luchetti. Luchetti brings a sharp and engaged perspective to this featurette, turning a potentially dry interview featurette into a substantive discussion between two filmmakers.
The disc also includes a short interview with Lattuada´s wife, actress Carla Del Poggio (8 min) and an interview with the director´s son, Alessandro Lattuado (7 min). The Del Poggio interview was recorded on the occasion of the film´s screening at the 2006 New York Film Festival.
A gallery of promotional caricatures by artist Keiko Kimura is also included.
Finally, the disc has both an original trailer and a trailer for the film´s 2007 U.S. re-release.
The 24-page insert booklet features an essay by Phillip Lopate, a translated essay by Italian critic Roberto Chiesi and an excerpted interview with Lattuada taken from Claudio Camerini´s 1982 biography "Alberto Lattuada."
Film Value
A winning performance by Alberto Sordi makes "Mafioso" an enjoyable comedy even for a viewer who, like me, is a bit uncomfortable with some of the over-the-top Sicilian stereotyping. Lattuada, who retired in 1989, passed away in 2005. Criterion has more than done justice to his memory with this fine release.
While some of the regional humor is lost in translation, Sordi´s performance crosses all cultures. "Mafioso" isn´t riotously funny, but has its fair share of laughs. It also functions as a much-needed palliative to the romanticized image of Sicilian mob culture portrayed in "The Godfather." Here, Lattuada and his screenwriters out "omertà" as pure bullshit, not so much a code of honor as an excuse for boys to play with their toys.
Video
The film is presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. This transfer is very strong even by Criterion standards. I can´t find a single thing to complain about. What can I say? Criterion just doesn´t leave me anything to write about these days. Darn near perfect.
Audio
The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital Mono. Optional English subtitles support the Italian audio.
Extras
The single-disc release includes several short interviews.
The best of the group is "Ritratti d´autore" (17 min), a 1996 interview with director Alberto Lattuada by filmmaker Daniele Luchetti. Luchetti brings a sharp and engaged perspective to this featurette, turning a potentially dry interview featurette into a substantive discussion between two filmmakers.
The disc also includes a short interview with Lattuada´s wife, actress Carla Del Poggio (8 min) and an interview with the director´s son, Alessandro Lattuado (7 min). The Del Poggio interview was recorded on the occasion of the film´s screening at the 2006 New York Film Festival.
A gallery of promotional caricatures by artist Keiko Kimura is also included.
Finally, the disc has both an original trailer and a trailer for the film´s 2007 U.S. re-release.
The 24-page insert booklet features an essay by Phillip Lopate, a translated essay by Italian critic Roberto Chiesi and an excerpted interview with Lattuada taken from Claudio Camerini´s 1982 biography "Alberto Lattuada."
Film Value
A winning performance by Alberto Sordi makes "Mafioso" an enjoyable comedy even for a viewer who, like me, is a bit uncomfortable with some of the over-the-top Sicilian stereotyping. Lattuada, who retired in 1989, passed away in 2005. Criterion has more than done justice to his memory with this fine release.
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[release]23384[/release]