''Mafioso'' is a 1962

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

Mafia "Mafia" is an informal term that is used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the original “Mafia”, the Sicilian Mafia and Italian Mafia. The central activity of such an organization would be the arbitration of d ...

black comedy Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discu ...

film directed by Alberto Lattuada. The film stars

Alberto Sordi Alberto Sordi (15 June 1920 – 24 February 2003) was an Italian actor, voice actor, singer, comedian, director and screenwriter. Early life Born in Rome to a schoolteacher and a musician and the last of five children, Sordi was named in hon ...

as a factory manager who visits his hometown in

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

and is tasked with performing a hit for

the Mafia "Mafia" is an informal term that is used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the original “Mafia”, the Sicilian Mafia and Italian Mafia. The central activity of such an organization would be the arbitration of d ...

. It was awarded Best Film at the San Sebastian Film Festival.

Plot

Antonio Badalamenti, a Sicilian who has been settled for many years in Northern Italy and is employed in a car factory in

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

, takes a vacation with his family, leaving behind the modern conveniences of his home in northern Italy, to visit his childhood village in

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

and introduce his blond, northern-Italian wife, Marta, to his mother, father and other relatives back home. While his wife suffers in the comparatively rustic conditions of her husband's hometown and has trouble adapting to the culture of Sicily, Antonio becomes reacquainted with his childhood friends. He also pays a visit to the local

don Don, don or DON and variants may refer to: Places *County Donegal, Ireland, Chapman code DON *Don (river), a river in European Russia *Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name *Don, Benin, a town in Benin *Don, Dang, a vill ...

, Don Vincenzo, who is a crime boss. The don smooths over some problems Antonio had with a deal to buy some property on the island, and in return, Antonio is tasked with carrying out a hit for the mob. As an outsider with no strings attached and a crack shot, Antonio is seen as a perfect candidate. While his wife is sleeping one night, Antonio leaves for what is purportedly a hunting trip with his friends. In reality, he is put inside a wooden crate and smuggled aboard an airplane into the United States, where he goes to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

to carry out his task. The job done, he is returned to Sicily in the same manner and arrives back at home as if from the hunting trip. Plagued by what he has done, he goes back to his efficient job at the car factory.

Cast

as Antonio Badalamenti * Norma Bengell as Marta * Gabriella Conti as Rosalia * Ugo Attanasio as Don Vincenzo * Cinzia Bruno as Donatella * Katiusca Piretti as Patrizia * Armando Tine as Dr. Zanchi * Lilly Bistrattin as Dr. Zanchi's Secretary * Michèle Bailly as Young Baroness * Francesco Lo Briglio as Don Calogero * Carmelo Oliviero as Don Liborio

Home media

It was released in the US by

The Criterion Collection The Criterion Collection, Inc. (or simply Criterion) is an American home video, home-video distribution company that focuses on licensing, restoring and distributing "important classic and contemporary films." Criterion serves film and media scho ...

, but as of March 31, 2013 the title is out of print.

References

External links

* * * *
''Mafioso: The Octopus’s Tentacles''
an essay by Roberto Chiesi at the Criterion Collection {{DEFAULTSORT:Mafioso (1962 Film) 1962 films 1960s black comedy films Italian crime comedy films Mafia comedy films Italian black-and-white films Films about the Sicilian Mafia Films set in Sicily Films set in Milan Films set in New York City 1960s Italian-language films Films scored by Nino Rota Commedia all'italiana Films directed by Alberto Lattuada Films with screenplays by Age & Scarpelli Films produced by Dino De Laurentiis Films with screenplays by Rafael Azcona 1962 comedy films 1962 drama films 1960s American films 1960s Italian films