The Mattei Affair
Encyclopedia
The Mattei Affair is a 1972 film directed by Francesco Rosi
. It depicts the life and mysterious death of Enrico Mattei
, an Italian businessman who in the aftermath of World War II
managed to avoid the sale of the nascent Italian oil and hydrocarbon industry to US companies and developed them in the Eni
, a state-owned oil company which rivaled the 'seven sisters
' for oil and gas deals in northern African and Middle Eastern countries.
The film shared the Grand Prix
with The Working Class Goes to Heaven
at the 1972 Cannes Film Festival
. Italian star Gian Maria Volonté
was the leading actor in both films.
Francesco Rosi
Francesco Rosi is an Italian film director. He is the father of actress Carolina Rosi.-Biography:After studying Law, but hoping to study film, Rosi entered the industry as an assistant to Luchino Visconti on La Terra trema...
. It depicts the life and mysterious death of Enrico Mattei
Enrico Mattei
Enrico Mattei was an Italian public administrator. After World War II he was given the task of dismantling the Italian Petroleum Agency Agip, a state enterprise established by the Fascist regime. Instead Mattei enlarged and reorganized it into the National Fuel Trust Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi...
, an Italian businessman who in the aftermath 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...
managed to avoid the sale of the nascent Italian oil and hydrocarbon industry to US companies and developed them in the Eni
Eni
Eni S.p.A. is an Italian multinational oil and gas company, present in 70 countries, and currently Italy's largest industrial company with a market capitalization of 87.7 billion euros , as of July 24, 2008...
, a state-owned oil company which rivaled the 'seven sisters
Seven Sisters (oil companies)
The "Seven Sisters" was a term coined in the 1950s by businessman Enrico Mattei, then-head of the Italian state oil company Eni, to describe the seven oil companies which formed the "Consortium for Iran" and dominated the global petroleum industry from the mid-1940s to the 1970s...
' for oil and gas deals in northern African and Middle Eastern countries.
The film shared the Grand Prix
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...
with The Working Class Goes to Heaven
The Working Class Goes to Heaven
The Working Class Goes to Heaven is a 1971 film directed by Elio Petri. It depicts a factory worker's realisation of his own condition as a simple "tool" in the process of production and, implicitly, his struggle with the trade unions...
at the 1972 Cannes Film Festival
1972 Cannes Film Festival
- Jury :*Joseph Losey *Bibi Andersson *Georges Auric *Erskine Caldwell *Mark Donskoi *Miloš Forman *Giorgio Papi *Jean Rochereau *Alain Tanner...
. Italian star Gian Maria Volonté
Gian Maria Volontè
Gian Maria Volonté was an Italian actor. He is perhaps most famous outside of Italy for his roles as the main villain in Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More.-Early life:Volonté was born in Milan, and graduated in Rome in 1957...
was the leading actor in both films.
Cast
- Gian Maria VolontéGian Maria VolontèGian Maria Volonté was an Italian actor. He is perhaps most famous outside of Italy for his roles as the main villain in Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More.-Early life:Volonté was born in Milan, and graduated in Rome in 1957...
- Enrico Mattei - Luigi Squarzina - Journalist
- Gianfranco Ombuen - Ing. Ferrari
- Edda Ferronao - Mrs. Mattei
- Accursio Di Leo - Sicilian important man #1
- Giuseppe Lo Presti - Sicilian important man #2
- Aldo Barberito - Official
- Dario Michaelis - Carabinieri official
- Peter BaldwinPeter Baldwin (director)Peter Baldwin is an American actor and director of film and television.Baldwin started his career as a contract player at Paramount Studios. He played the character Johnson in Stalag 17. He eventually became a television director with an extensive résumé. As well as directing all of the episode's...
- McHale (journalist) - Franco GraziosiFranco GraziosiFranco Graziosi is a retired Italian actorEntering film in 1960 he has some 27 Italian film and TV appearances between then and 2004...
- Minister - Elio Jotta - Head of commission
- Luciano Colitti - Bertuzzi
- Terenzio Cordova - Police official
- Camillo Milli - Change teller
- Jean Rougeul - American official