Love and Anarchy
Encyclopedia
Love and Anarchy is a 1973 film directed by Lina Wertmüller
Lina Wertmüller
Lina Wertmüller is an Italian film writer and director of aristocratic Swiss descent. In 1976, she became the first woman ever to be nominated for an Academy Award for Directing with the film Seven Beauties.-Biography:...

 and starring Giancarlo Giannini
Giancarlo Giannini
Giancarlo Giannini is an Italian actor and dubber.Giannini was born La Spezia, Liguria, Italy. He studied at the Accademia Nazionale d'Arte Drammatica in Rome, and made his film debut in a small part in Fango sulla metropoli in 1965...

 and Mariangela Melato
Mariangela Melato
Mariangela Melato is an Italian actress.Melato was born in Milan and studied at the Milan Theatre Academy. A striking, blonde actress, she began her stage career in the early 1960s and rose to fame after delivering powerful performances for a number of notable Italian stage directors such as Dario...

. The story, set in Fascist Italy before the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, centers on Giannini's character, an anarchist who stays in a brothel
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...

 while preparing to kill Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....

. Giannini's character, while preparing to assassinate Mussolini, falls in love with one of the whores working in the brothel. This film explores the depths of his emotions concerning love, his hate for fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...

, and his fears of being killed while assassinating Mussolini.

Love and Anarchy was nominated for the Palme d'Or
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...

 at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival
1973 Cannes Film Festival
The 26th Cannes Film Festival was held on May 10–25, 1973. At this festival two new non-competitive sections were added: 'Étude et documents' and 'Perspectives du Cinéma Français' ....

 and Giannini was awarded Best Actor.

Plot

The film begins with Tunin (Giancarlo Giannini
Giancarlo Giannini
Giancarlo Giannini is an Italian actor and dubber.Giannini was born La Spezia, Liguria, Italy. He studied at the Accademia Nazionale d'Arte Drammatica in Rome, and made his film debut in a small part in Fango sulla metropoli in 1965...

) learning that his friend, an anarchist who was plotting to kill Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....

, has been killed by Mussolini's fascist police in the countryside. Tunin decides to take up the cause his friend died for. The movie then shows Tunin entering a brothel in Rome and meeting Salome (Mariangela Melato
Mariangela Melato
Mariangela Melato is an Italian actress.Melato was born in Milan and studied at the Milan Theatre Academy. A striking, blonde actress, she began her stage career in the early 1960s and rose to fame after delivering powerful performances for a number of notable Italian stage directors such as Dario...

). The two have a casual sexual encounter. Salome explains her reasons for helping in the assassination plot as her former lover was wrongfully beaten to death by the Mussolini's police in Milan. The story continues as Salome arranges for her, Tunin and Tripolina (Lina Polito), another prostitute at the brothel, are going to spend the day with Spatoletti, the head of Mussolini's police. The four of them go to the countryside near Rome where the assassination will take place in several days time. Salome keeps Spatoletti busy while Tunin can scout out the area and plan. Tunin takes an interest, however, in Tripolina and they fall in love. Tunin convinces Tripolina to spend the next two days with him before the assassination as he fears they may be his last. On the morning of the assassination Tripolina is supposed to wake Tunin early. She loves him and is scared he will die so she decides she will not wake him. Tripolina and Salome argue about this and what to do but in the end they decide to let him sleep. Tunin wakes up and is furious at both of them. He goes into a tirade that draws the attention of the police. He starts a shootout with them and screams that he wants to kill Mussolini. He is captured and beaten to death by the police. The film ends the way it began showing the full title of the film "Stamattina alle 10, in via dei Fiori, nella nota casa di tolleranza..." This morning at 10, on Flowers Street, in a noted brothel which is the heading of an unnamed newspaper. The article goes on to say that Tunin (who is unnamed) was arrested and then committed suicide, in a statement of the fascist censorship characteristic of the time.

Trivia

Giancarlo Giannini starred in three other films Wertmuller made during this period: The Seduction of Mimi
The Seduction of Mimi
Mimí metallurgico ferito nell'onore is an Italian language film directed by Lina Wertmüller, starring Giancarlo Giannini and Mariangela Melato. It was released in the United States as The Seduction of Mimi, although a literal translation of the title would be "Mimi the metalworker, wounded in honor"...

, Swept Away
Swept Away by an Unusual Destiny in the Blue Sea of August
Swept Away is a 1974 Italian film written and directed by Lina Wertmüller...

, and Seven Beauties
Seven Beauties
Pasqualino Settebellezze is a 1975 Italian language film written and directed by Lina Wertmüller and starring Giancarlo Giannini in the main role. Fernando Rey and Shirley Stoler are also featured...

.

Cast

  • Giancarlo Giannini
    Giancarlo Giannini
    Giancarlo Giannini is an Italian actor and dubber.Giannini was born La Spezia, Liguria, Italy. He studied at the Accademia Nazionale d'Arte Drammatica in Rome, and made his film debut in a small part in Fango sulla metropoli in 1965...

     - Antonio Soffiantini 'Tunin'
  • Mariangela Melato
    Mariangela Melato
    Mariangela Melato is an Italian actress.Melato was born in Milan and studied at the Milan Theatre Academy. A striking, blonde actress, she began her stage career in the early 1960s and rose to fame after delivering powerful performances for a number of notable Italian stage directors such as Dario...

     - Salomè
  • Lina Polito - Tripolina
  • Eros Pagni
    Eros Pagni
    Eros Pagni is an Italian film actor. He has appeared in 34 films since 1964. He was born in La Spezia, Liguria.-Selected filmography:* Pleasant Nights * Love and Anarchy * Deep Red...

     - Giacinto Spatoletti
  • Pina Cei - Madame Aïda
  • Elena Fiore - Donna Carmela
  • Giuliana Calandra
  • Isa Bellini
  • Isa Danieli
    Isa Danieli
    Isa Danieli is an Italian film actress. She has appeared in 32 films since 1962.-Selected filmography:* Love and Anarchy * Swept Away * Caro Michele * Blood Feud * Macaroni...

     - Prostitute
  • Enrica Bonaccorti - Prostitute
  • Anna Bonaiuto
    Anna Bonaiuto
    Anna Bonaiuto is an Italian actress. She has appeared in 48 films and television shows since 1973. She starred in L'amore molesto, which was entered into the 1995 Cannes Film Festival.-Selected filmography:...

     - Prostitute
  • Anita Branzanti - Prostitute
  • Maria Sciacca - Prostitute
  • Anna Melato
    Anna Melato
    Anna Melato is an Italian actress, singer and voice actor.She is the sister of Mariangela Melato.- Filmography :* Love and Anarchy * Casotto * Due pezzi di pane...

     - Prostitute
  • Gea Linchi - Prostitute
  • Anna Stivala - Prostitute
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