Lucky Luciano

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Film Description

Another of Francesco Rosi's investigations into the nature of legal and illegal power, this film refuses to make the mafioso a glamorous figure. Instead a combination of 'documented reality' based on painstaking research, and visually arresting images reconstruct episodes from Luciano's life and make clear the connections between events in Italy and the United States, and the interests that Lucky Luciano served. Far from being a Robin Hood, Luciano's corruption and greed is shown to contribute to the poverty and backwardness of his native Sicily.

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Review by Tony Rowland on 28th March 2006

This Doco-Drama of Lucky Luchiano's post war exile in Italy, interspersed with authentic dramatised flashbacks and factual background narrative and a wonderful score is a tribute to a subject Rossi understands well. When Rossi filmed Salvatore Giuliano in the sixties he used gritty black and white photography and authentic locations, the population of the Sicilian village in which the Bandit was assasinated was also put to good use. He had learnt his craft well from Visconti years before. In 'Lucky' Rossi sticks to this format but chooses well known actors to compliment the unknowns in the cast, the colour photography and big production values reinforce the romantisised ideas the public have about the mafia, but the narrative and the dialogue delivered by the FBI agent who continued to investigate Luchiano, and who is played in the movie by himself delivers a powerful indictment about a sinister and ruthless organisation that the public seems to view through rose coloured spectacles. For those film buffs who love the genre this is a detailed and fascinating portrait of a notorious gangster. Butchered by its distributers on its release and overlooked for many years it is a pity that this DVD has not been released in its original widescreen format. Film fans can only hope that there will be a restored edition of this rarity in the near future. At the moment we only have this version, but don't let that put you off, it is a compelling and absorbing movie.

Review by RA on 19th April 2001

Appearing as the Godfather films were becoming an institution, this account of the repatriated Mafioso powerfully blends documentary and fiction as an unholy alliance of government and Mafia is played out against the showy facade of Italy's postwar recovery. An explosive collision of cinema and reportage. A terrific gangster movie.

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