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Salvatore Giuliano (12A)

John Akomfrah Presents...

A still from Francesco Rosi's Salvatore Giuliano

5 July 1950. Salvatore Giuliano, Italy’s most wanted criminal and celebrated hero, is found shot dead in a sun-baked courtyard. Who killed him, why, and who was he really? 

Based on rigorous research, shot on the exact real-life locations, and featuring a cast of mostly local non-professionals (some of whom knew the actual man), the film reconstructs, docu-drama-style, key moments from Giuliano’s life. Opening with the discovery of his corpse, it shuttles back and forth in time, building up a meticulous, multi-perspective portrait.

As the film unfolds, it also becomes, in essence, an investigative portrait of Sicily itself, revealing the terrible collusion of the local population, Mafia, and government officials. For this reason, it sparked huge controversy in Italy on first release, but was just as quickly hailed as a brilliant and important film, politically and artistically. This is how it comes down to us today: a landmark in Italian and political cinema, director Francesco Rosi’s undisputed masterpiece. 


Italy 1962 Dir Francesco Rosi 123 min Digital presentation
 

New digital restoration courtesy of the Cineteca di Bologna

Please arrive promptly at the advertised start time

Proof of ID may be requested on entry to films, in compliance with BBFC ratings

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