THE CONTEXT (CADAVERI ECCELENTI)

Italy, 1976, 120 minutes, Colour.
Lino Ventura, Alain Cuny, Paolo Bonacelli, Marcel Bozzuffi, Tina Aumont, Max Von Sydow.
Directed by Francesco Rosi.

The Context: recent political history has spurred on cinema explorations of administration and corruption. Socialist, Francesco Rosi, has made a film that seems hard to believe as true until one reads a little about Italian politics 1976 and its scandals. This grim picture of right-wing politicians using vendetta murders against judges as a basis for a conspiracy to agitate the left and so provide a reason for armed intervention against them is convincingly written and acted. Lino Ventura is excellent as the trapped and used detective. A film to be recommended for serious viewing and well illustrating the screen's power to show an ordinary audience the potential abuses of political power.

1. The significance of the title,, the original title of 'Illustrious Corpses'?

2. The picture of modern Italy, Italian politics? Insight into Italian politics of the 70s? The film for an Italian audience for an overseas audience? The universal issues of human nature. power and corruption within these particular circumstances?

3. The impact of the film as political drama? The closeness of fiction and fact? Did the film seem in any way propaganda for the Left against the Right? Insight into people and politics and power?

4. The film's delineation of political issues of the 70s: Italian Christian Democrats and their governing power and inability to govern, the insight into the extremism and the tactics of the Right the tactics of the Left and their powerlessness against such a conspiracy of the Right? The role of religion and its formalism in politics? The amorality of politics and politicians? The use of assassination, contrived violence? The use of surveillance and bugging?

5. The significance of the long opening. the corpses and the skeletons in the religious cemetery? The Capuchin monk standing peeking? His explanation of the judge? The old judge looking and communicating with the corpses? His immediate death? The comment on Italy, age and death and politics? Justice and power?

6. The impact of the successive assassinations of the judges? The comments made about them? The importance of the long sequence of the initial funeral? The dignitaries gathering, their being photographed the explanation of their titles and roles? A picture of Italian justice assembled? The irony of the truth as the film went on? Picturing this in a religious context?

7. The contrast with Rogas? His type, personality, dedication to his job? His ability at detection? His methods. skill and thoroughness? His alertness and capacity to understand? The film's emphasis on his class and the contrast with the upper class conspirators? Rogas as an ordinary hero for an ordinary audience?

8. The contrast with the Chiefs of Police, their styles, their roles and the political corruption? The philosophy of Von Sydow? The complete subjectivity? Superiority above the ordinary masses? The political double cross? The use of surveillance? The judges being victims of their own methods?

9. The presentation of politicians and their double talk? Political leaders, commercial connections? Lavish upper class parties with conspiratorial overtones? Rogas as being out of place there?

10. The audience following with Rogas the puzzle of the murders and assassinations? Sharing the effect of his being puzzled, followed, his worrying about the judges and the audience knowing that he should worry about himself?

11. The portrayal of the communists? Rogas and his editor friend and the explanation of the positions of the communists? Amar and his role as Secretary of the party? The importance of the final meeting and the final discussion? After the assassination, the Left saying that they did not want to provoke trouble? The film's comment on the role of socialism and communism in Italy?

12. The character of Rogas' friend in the police force, his role in torturing, his ability in giving information from the bugging devices?

13. The gradual involvement of Rogas and his being a victim of the conspirators? The sinister nature of his being bugged with the dog in the park?

14. The pathos of his death? The fact that he had been used? Was a complete victim in giving his life? The sinister report of the Chief of Police?

15. The film's comment on the nature of the conspiracy, the motivation of the people involved?

16. How good an exploration of political themes, justice, a country, individuals, the subordination of all to power?