Li chiamarono... briganti!
Encyclopedia
Li chiamarono... briganti! (They called them... brigands!) is a 1999
Italian
film
, directed by Pasquale Squitieri. It tells the story of Carmine Crocco
, a 19th century italian
brigand who gained recognition when he came to the forefront of the brigandage
during the Italian unification
, by opposing the army of King Victor Emmanuel II. It stars Enrico Lo Verso
, Claudia Cardinale
, Franco Nero
, Remo Girone
, Giorgio Albertazzi
among the others. The movie was quickly suspended from its cinema run and it is not available on VHS or DVD.
) is an outlaw native of Rionero in Vulture
(Basilicata
), who was forced to the bandit's life after killing a man who had harassed his sister. He joined Giuseppe Garibaldi
's Expedition of the Thousand
against the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
hoping for a pardon, because the Savoy
's government promised to forgive deserters in exchange for military service. But the promise wasn't kept and Crocco was arrested. He also noted that the economic situation was getting worse, with new taxes and growing unemployment.
He is soon released with the help of the local clergy
and, disappointed by the unfulfilled promise of the new government, Crocco is persuaded by the cleric Don Pietro (Remo Girone
) to become the leader of the resistance against Victor Emmanuel II, promising him money and weapons. Thus Crocco joins the Bourbon side, forming an army composed mainly of poor people.
The brigand and his men conquer the Vulture region in the name of king Francis II
, gaining the support of the local population. The new Italian government is worried about this rebellion and General Enrico Cialdini
(Benoît Vallès) it assigned to suppress it. The repression is cruel; Cialdini orders the shooting of the brigands and anyone who deals with them, mass killings (where even women and children are not spared) and confiscation of basic necessities.
Meanwhile, the Bourbon government in exile sends the Spanish General José Borjes (Francesco Mazzini) to Basilicata
, to reinforce and discipline the bands. Crocco does not trust Borjes from the start because he is worried about losing his leadership, but he accepts the alliance. After some victorious battles, Crocco breaks the alliance with Borjes because he does not want to serve under a foreigner.
Crocco's lieutenant, Caruso (Ennio Coltorti), betrays him hoping for clemency, revealing to the authorities the hideouts of the brigands. After his betrayal, Crocco's army suffers many causualties and many of his men are captured and executed by firing squad. In the face of a losing battle, the only way to save himself is escape.
, in the province of Rome
.
. It was suddenly withdrawn from cinemas for its low earning but for some writers like Lorenzo Del Boca, known for his revisionist books about the Italian unification
, stated that It was boycotted to be watched by as few people as possible.
Italian films of 1999
A list of films produced in Italy in 1999 :-External links:* at the Internet Movie Database...
Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, directed by Pasquale Squitieri. It tells the story of Carmine Crocco
Carmine Crocco
Carmine Crocco, known as Donatello was an Italian brigand. Initially a robber in revenge for the abuses suffered, he fought in the service of Giuseppe Garibaldi and, soon after the Italian unification, he formed an army of two thousand men, leading the most cohesive and feared band in southern...
, a 19th century italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
brigand who gained recognition when he came to the forefront of the brigandage
Brigandage in the Two Sicilies
Brigandage in the Two Sicilies had existed in some form since ancient times, however its origins as outlaws targeting random travellers would evolve vastly later on in the form of the political resistance movement form of brigandage in the Two Sicilies...
during the Italian unification
Italian unification
Italian unification was the political and social movement that agglomerated different states of the Italian peninsula into the single state of Italy in the 19th century...
, by opposing the army of King Victor Emmanuel II. It stars Enrico Lo Verso
Enrico Lo Verso
Enrico Lo Verso is an Italian actor.He studied acting at Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia and INDA|Istituto Nazionale del Dramma Antico.-Filmography:* Atto di dolore * Nulla ci può fermare...
, Claudia Cardinale
Claudia Cardinale
Claudia Cardinale is an Italian actress, and has appeared in some of the most prominent European films of the 1960s and 1970s. The majority of Cardinale's films have been either Italian or French...
, Franco Nero
Franco Nero
Franco Nero is an Italian actor.-Early life:Nero was born Francesco Sparanero in San Prospero Parmense , the son of a sergeant in the...
, Remo Girone
Remo Girone
Remo Girone is an Italian film and stage actor. He is best known for the role of Tano Cariddi in the epic TV mini-series La Piovra , about the Mafia. As a Mafia leader, Tano's chief enemy was Commissario Corrado Cattani.- External links :...
, Giorgio Albertazzi
Giorgio Albertazzi
Giorgio Albertazzi is an Italian actor and film director.Born in San Martino a Mensola Albertazzi joined the Italian Social Republic and reached the rank of lieutenant. After their defeat, he spent two years in prison for collaborating...
among the others. The movie was quickly suspended from its cinema run and it is not available on VHS or DVD.
Plot
Carmine Crocco (Enrico Lo VersoEnrico Lo Verso
Enrico Lo Verso is an Italian actor.He studied acting at Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia and INDA|Istituto Nazionale del Dramma Antico.-Filmography:* Atto di dolore * Nulla ci può fermare...
) is an outlaw native of Rionero in Vulture
Rionero in Vulture
Rionero in Vulture is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. It is located on the slopes of Monte Vulture in the northern part of the region of Basilicata.-History:...
(Basilicata
Basilicata
Basilicata , also known as Lucania, is a region in the south of Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south, having one short southwestern coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania in the northwest and Calabria in the southwest, and a...
), who was forced to the bandit's life after killing a man who had harassed his sister. He joined Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political figure. In his twenties, he joined the Carbonari Italian patriot revolutionaries, and fled Italy after a failed insurrection. Garibaldi took part in the War of the Farrapos and the Uruguayan Civil War leading the Italian Legion, and...
's Expedition of the Thousand
Expedition of the Thousand
The Expedition of the Thousand was a military campaign led by the revolutionary general Giuseppe Garibaldi in 1860. A force of volunteers defeated the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, leading to its dissolution and annexation by the Kingdom of Sardinia, an important step in the creation of a newly...
against the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, commonly known as the Two Sicilies even before formally coming into being, was the largest and wealthiest of the Italian states before Italian unification...
hoping for a pardon, because the Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
's government promised to forgive deserters in exchange for military service. But the promise wasn't kept and Crocco was arrested. He also noted that the economic situation was getting worse, with new taxes and growing unemployment.
He is soon released with the help of the local clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
and, disappointed by the unfulfilled promise of the new government, Crocco is persuaded by the cleric Don Pietro (Remo Girone
Remo Girone
Remo Girone is an Italian film and stage actor. He is best known for the role of Tano Cariddi in the epic TV mini-series La Piovra , about the Mafia. As a Mafia leader, Tano's chief enemy was Commissario Corrado Cattani.- External links :...
) to become the leader of the resistance against Victor Emmanuel II, promising him money and weapons. Thus Crocco joins the Bourbon side, forming an army composed mainly of poor people.
The brigand and his men conquer the Vulture region in the name of king Francis II
Francis II of the Two Sicilies
Francis II , was King of the Two Sicilies from 1859 to 1861. He was the last King of the Two Sicilies, as successive invasions by Giuseppe Garibaldi and Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia ultimately brought an end to his rule, and marked the first major event of Italian unification...
, gaining the support of the local population. The new Italian government is worried about this rebellion and General Enrico Cialdini
Enrico Cialdini
Enrico Cialdini, Duca di Gaeta was an Italian soldier, politician and diplomat.-Biography:He was born at Castelvetro, in the province of Modena. In 1831 he took part in the insurrection at Modena, fleeing afterwards to Paris, whence he proceeded to Spain to fight against the Carlists...
(Benoît Vallès) it assigned to suppress it. The repression is cruel; Cialdini orders the shooting of the brigands and anyone who deals with them, mass killings (where even women and children are not spared) and confiscation of basic necessities.
Meanwhile, the Bourbon government in exile sends the Spanish General José Borjes (Francesco Mazzini) to Basilicata
Basilicata
Basilicata , also known as Lucania, is a region in the south of Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south, having one short southwestern coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania in the northwest and Calabria in the southwest, and a...
, to reinforce and discipline the bands. Crocco does not trust Borjes from the start because he is worried about losing his leadership, but he accepts the alliance. After some victorious battles, Crocco breaks the alliance with Borjes because he does not want to serve under a foreigner.
Crocco's lieutenant, Caruso (Ennio Coltorti), betrays him hoping for clemency, revealing to the authorities the hideouts of the brigands. After his betrayal, Crocco's army suffers many causualties and many of his men are captured and executed by firing squad. In the face of a losing battle, the only way to save himself is escape.
Cast
- Enrico Lo VersoEnrico Lo VersoEnrico Lo Verso is an Italian actor.He studied acting at Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia and INDA|Istituto Nazionale del Dramma Antico.-Filmography:* Atto di dolore * Nulla ci può fermare...
as Carmine CroccoCarmine CroccoCarmine Crocco, known as Donatello was an Italian brigand. Initially a robber in revenge for the abuses suffered, he fought in the service of Giuseppe Garibaldi and, soon after the Italian unification, he formed an army of two thousand men, leading the most cohesive and feared band in southern...
: a labourer forced to flee after a crime of honour. He fought for Garibaldi in the hope of an amnesty but, disappointed by the unkept promise, joined the Bourbon side against the Savoy's government. - Branko Tesanovic as Ninco Nanco: Crocco's loyal lieutenant. He participates in the conquest of the Vulture territories, demonstrating brilliant guerilla tactics.
- Roberta Armani as Filomena: a cold blooded female brigand, she is also Crocco's fiancée.
- Claudia CardinaleClaudia CardinaleClaudia Cardinale is an Italian actress, and has appeared in some of the most prominent European films of the 1960s and 1970s. The majority of Cardinale's films have been either Italian or French...
as Assunta: a peasant, mother of two children who are members of Crocco's army. - Ennio Coltorti as Caruso: Crocco's lieutenant. He later betrays his boss in exchange for forgiveness.
- Benoît Vallès as Enrico CialdiniEnrico CialdiniEnrico Cialdini, Duca di Gaeta was an Italian soldier, politician and diplomat.-Biography:He was born at Castelvetro, in the province of Modena. In 1831 he took part in the insurrection at Modena, fleeing afterwards to Paris, whence he proceeded to Spain to fight against the Carlists...
: general of the Savoy Royal Army sent to choke the rebellion. He applies any method to achieve his purpose, and was criticized by other militaries of the Italian government. - Remo GironeRemo GironeRemo Girone is an Italian film and stage actor. He is best known for the role of Tano Cariddi in the epic TV mini-series La Piovra , about the Mafia. As a Mafia leader, Tano's chief enemy was Commissario Corrado Cattani.- External links :...
as Don Pietro: a priest who helps Crocco providing weapons and money. He is the intermediary between the brigands and the Papal StatesPapal StatesThe Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
. - Franco NeroFranco NeroFranco Nero is an Italian actor.-Early life:Nero was born Francesco Sparanero in San Prospero Parmense , the son of a sergeant in the...
as Nerza: a corporal of carabiniers. A quiet and conscientious man, he is the main opposition to Cialdini's methods, although he is obliged to respect them. - Carlo CroccoloCarlo CroccoloCarlo Croccolo is an Italian film actor. He has appeared in over 100 films since 1949. He was born in Naples, Italy.-Selected filmography:* Bellezze in bicicletta * Totò sceicco * Vendetta.....
as Don Vincenzino: a cobblerCobblerCobbler may refer to:* A shoemaker who repairs shoes, rather than manufacturing them .** Cobbler apron, a type of apron that covers both the front and back of the body...
who supports the Crocco's resistance. - Francesco Mazzini as José Borjes: a Spanish General sent by the Bourbon government to reinforce the brigands but the alliance did not last.
- Giorgio AlbertazziGiorgio AlbertazziGiorgio Albertazzi is an Italian actor and film director.Born in San Martino a Mensola Albertazzi joined the Italian Social Republic and reached the rank of lieutenant. After their defeat, he spent two years in prison for collaborating...
as Cardinal Antonelli: a cardinal of the Papal States who financed the brigands' rebellion.
Setting
Although the film is set in the Vulture area in Basilicata, it was filmed in ArtenaArtena
Artena is a village and comune in the province of Rome, Italy. It is situated in the northwest of Monti Lepini, in the upper valley of the Sacco River...
, in the province of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
Reception
Li chiamarono... briganti! received poor reviews and earned only 75 million lireItalian lira
The lira was the currency of Italy between 1861 and 2002. Between 1999 and 2002, the Italian lira was officially a “national subunit” of the euro...
. It was suddenly withdrawn from cinemas for its low earning but for some writers like Lorenzo Del Boca, known for his revisionist books about the Italian unification
Italian unification
Italian unification was the political and social movement that agglomerated different states of the Italian peninsula into the single state of Italy in the 19th century...
, stated that It was boycotted to be watched by as few people as possible.