Amleto Palermi

The nobleman Pantaleo of Santa Paola has deceased recently, but in the preamble to his will is read his confession in which he declares to have had, in his youth, an affair with a circus horsewoman from which were born two twin sons.
The search for these twins will bring the notary Pensabene and their cousins heirs, Rosa, Lilli e Titti, to fortuitously find Nicolino, the first of the twins. The search will continue with other hilarious adventures that will see the figure of Toto alternating with several phantasmagorical characters, surrounded by a family that wants to undermine their safety in order to collect the money of Pantaleo’s inheritance.Read More »

PLOT & Review:
(Contains some spoilers)

Quote:
This film was not based on the famous one-act opera of Pietro Mascagni but rather on the original story by the Sicilian writer Giovanni Verga. It’s the story of Santuzza, her love Turiddu, and his passion for the married Lola that leads to his death in a duel when Lola’s husband Alfio exacts satisfaction. Santuzza’s curse leveled at unfaithful Turiddu, “A te la mala Pasqua!” (“Hope you have a bad Easter!”) is a memorable moment… as it was in Mascagni’s opera.

All Sicilian passion and emotion, the film is shot against authentic Sicilian backgrounds. There are wonderful colorful sequences of villagers riding in decorated traditionally decorated carts. Those scenes are so vivid you almost don’t notice the absence of color in this black and white film. Mount Etna looms in the background, suggestive of the smoking volcanic passions of some of the characters we see living near it.Read More »

Carnevalesca with the beautiful Lydia Borelli is divided in to 4 parts, the white carnival, the innocent and pure childhood, the blue carnival love & youth, the red carnival the violent and destructive passion, the black carnival, death and madness.Read More »