''A Man Named John'' () is a

1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lynd ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Ermanno Olmi Ermanno Olmi (24 July 1931 – 7 May 2018)Lane, John Francis (May 7, 2018).Ermanno Olmi obituary. ''The Guardian''. theguardian.com. Retrieved 11 May 2018. was an Italian film director and screenwriter best known for directing '' Il Posto'' ( ...

and starring

Rod Steiger Rodney Stephen Steiger ( ; April 14, 1925 – July 9, 2002) was an American actor, noted for his portrayal of offbeat, often volatile and crazed characters. Ranked as "one of Hollywood's most charismatic and dynamic stars", he is closely associ ...

Plot

The film is a biography of

Pope John XXIII Pope John XXIII (born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death on 3 June 1963. He is the most recent pope to take ...

, who, however, does not appear in the film as an actual character. Instead

acts as an "intermediary", telling the Pope's life story while traveling through the places in

Bergamo Bergamo ( , ; ) is a city in the Alps, alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from the alpine lakes Lake Como, Como and Lake Iseo, Iseo and 70 km (43 mi) from Lake Garda, Garda and Lake ...

where he grew up.

Cast

- The Intermediary *

Adolfo Celi Adolfo Celi (; 27 July 1922 – 19 February 1986) was an Italian film actor and director. Born in Curcuraci, Messina, Sicily, Celi appeared in nearly 100 films, specialising in international villains. Although a prominent actor in Italian ...

- Msgr. Radini Tedeschi * Giorgo Fortunato - Secretary of Nunzio Roncalli * Ottone Candiani - The Sinful Priest of Venice *

Alfonso Orlando Alfonso Orlando (17 May 1892 - 29 August 1969) was an Italian long-distance runner and actor. He competed at the 1912 Summer Olympics and acted in the movie '' A Man Named John'' (1963). National records * 3000 metres: 9:24.4 (Milan, 20 June 191 ...

- Parish priest *

Alberto Rossi Alberto Rossi may refer to: * Alberto Rossi (painter) (1858–1936), Italian painter * Alberto De Rossi (born 1957), Italian football manager and footballer * Alberto Lorenzelli Rossi (born 1953), Argentina-born priest of the Catholic Church Se ...

- Angelo Roncalli - Age 7 * Giovanni Rossi - Angelo Roncalli - Age 10 (as Giovannio Rossi) * Fabrisio Rossi - Angelo Roncalli - Age 4 *

Pietro Germi Pietro Germi (; 14 September 1914 – 5 December 1974) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor, noted for his development of the Italian neorealism, neorealist and genres. His 1961 film ''Divorce Italian Style'' earned him a Ac ...

- Pontiff's Father * Rita Bertocchi - Pontiff's Mother * Antonio Bertocchi - Uncle Xavier * Antonio Ruttigni - Don Pietro, parish priest of Carviso *

Romolo Valli Romolo Valli (7 February 1925 – 1 February 1980) was an Italian actor. Valli was born in Reggio Emilia. He was one of the best-known Italian actors from the 1950s to his death. He worked for both the stage and the silver screen. Among the ...

- The Intermediary (voice)

Critical reception

Stanley Kauffmann Stanley Kauffmann (April 24, 1916 – October 9, 2013) was an American writer, editor, and critic of film and theater. Career Kauffmann started with ''The New Republic'' in 1958 and contributed film criticism to that magazine for the next 55 ye ...

The New Republic ''The New Republic'' (often abbreviated as ''TNR'') is an American magazine focused on domestic politics, news, culture, and the arts from a left-wing perspective. It publishes ten print magazines a year and a daily online platform. ''The New Y ...

described A Man Named John as a 'mistake'.

References

External links

* 1965 films Italian drama films 1960s Italian-language films 1965 drama films Films directed by Ermanno Olmi Films produced by Harry Saltzman Cultural depictions of Pope John XXIII 1960s Italian films Italian-language drama films {{1960s-Italy-film-stub