THREE BROTHERS (TRE FRATELLI)

Italy, 1981, 113 minutes, Colour.
Philippe Noiret, Michele Placido, Vittorio Mezzogiorno, Andrea Ferreol, Marta Zoffoli.
Directed by Francesco Rosi.

1. A portrait of Italy in the 70s and 80s? The portrait through the three sons? The father and his family? A humane film of insight?

2. The work of Francesco Rosi, his portrait of Italy, society, politics? His critiques?

3. The creation of atmosphere: the contrast between Rome, Naples, Turin, the countryside? The locations? Contemporary, the flashbacks, memories, reality and fantasy? The future? The musical score?

4. The structure of the film: the initial dream of fear, the dark house, the rats? Moving to memories – and messianic hopes? The focus on each brother, memories and dreams? the death of the mother, the role of the father (memories and reality)? The interweaving of the past, the present, the possible futures? The effect of the experience on the three brothers? On the audience?

5. The portrait of the father, giving focus to the story? His age, Charles Vanel and his performance? Screen presence? Few words? His wife’s appearance? The rabbit, gone? The walk? The telegram and the waiting? Raffaele and the distance? Rocco and his warmth? Nicola and his distance as well? The bond with Marta? The grief, in a state of grief, prayers? The religious dimension? What the father stood for? His survival, his friends? Patriarchal – yet the image of him courting and marrying his wife, the joy, the rain, the beach and the wife losing the ring, the war and the Allies? Lying down, asleep? Marta, crying? Sweating, the funeral, not going? With Marta and the two rings? The ideal Italian, the real Italian? The portrait? Rocco playing the young father?

6. Marta as the new generation, with her father, reading, her modesty? Arrival, love, wandering? In the grain, dress, her cries? The interactions with her grandfather, at the end? The new generation, potential – and old fidelity?

7. Rocco, the opening, the rats and his terror? Waking? His work, the children, disadvantaged, the atmosphere of the institution? The police and prosecution? The boys watching? Travelling? Warm? The parish priest, playing the organ? Remembering the Allies, listening to his brothers? The stances during the night? The women, his relationship, failed marriage, true or not? The lies? His messianic dream? The decent man, the loner, a man of hope? The same actor playing Rocco and his father?

8. Raffaele as the judge, his work? In Rome, his colleagues, his fear? Discussions with his wife? The phone call, his son and his work? The girlfriend? The issues of terrorism in Italy in the 1970s? His taking the case? As a man in himself, dignity, education, old standards, conservative, his belief in order, presumptions about how society should be? The news of the death, his travel, the phone call? Talk in the village? The solving of questions about information on terrorists? Yet his continued fear? Discussions with the teacher who stayed? His severity towards Nicola and talking with him? Nicola weeping? With his father, with Marta? The night and his studying the case, the photos, his nightmare, the nightmare death in the bus? The insight into this sober and upright man?

9. Nicola, his wife and hardship, the affair, the break? Daughter, his love for her? Tender, young, twenty years? The work in Turin, his hopes? The divisions between northern and southern Italy? The snobbery of his wife, his grief and anger? The girl mourning? The story of leaving, waiting, the visit? The kiss and rebuff? His fantasy, taunting Rocco? His return, the girl on the roller skates, his passion, the reconciliation, his weeping?

10. The village and life in the village, the changes, the south? Those who stayed in the village? The men talking and playing? The women in black, the look of the village? The past, the weddings, the war, traditions? The parish priest and his kindness? Rosaria and the funeral? Rosaria, sexual relationship, the migrant husband, passion, fidelity?

11. The portrait of the Catholic church in Italy, its traditions and attitudes?

12. Social institutions, the law, in terms of difficult children? The ugliness of institutions? Vision?

13. Industry, the wealthy, violence, non-violence and rights?

14. Italy and terrorism in the 70s, the justice, the causes, the aggression of the terrorists?

15. The question of whether reconciliation was just a hope – or possible?