The Brigand (Italian: Il brigante) is a 1961 Italian historical drama film written and directed by Renato Castellani. It premiered in competition at the 22nd edition of the Venice Film Festival.
Contents
Cast
Adelmo Di Fraia as Michele Rende
Serena Vergano as Miliella Stigliano
Francesco Seminario as Nino Stigliano
Mario Ierardi as Pataro
Anna Filippini as Giulia Ricadi
Giovanni Basile as Fimiani
Renato Terra as Carmelo
Elena Sestito as Nino's Mother
Angela Sirianni as Nino's Grandmother
Production
The film was produced by Cineriz with a budged of 98 millions lire. It is based on the 1951 historical novel The Brigand by Giuseppe Berto. After a pre-production of over a year, it was shot in 10 months in Calabria. The cast mostly consisted on non-professional actors, the majority of whom recruited directly on location. In its original cut, it run about 3 and a half hour.
Release
The film had its premiere at the 22nd Venice International Film Festival, in the main competition section, winning the FIPRESCI prize.
Reception
Gian Luigi Rondi wrote: "The story finds in him a careful and accurate narrator, now polemical, now inspired, not always able, however, to impose a harmonious unity on the narration nor to keep the often epic atmosphere of the film clear of certain errors of taste and style, certain dramatic novelties which smack not so much of exasperation as of mere exaggeration".