Zampa's debut as director in nothing could guess he would make some master chronicle about fascist years that is "Anni Dificile" (1948). Someone could appoint that both movies have narratives that touches in points of Italian historical past recent or not. In the case in question, however, this historical approach is very subordinated to generic conventions contemporary thrillers in Zorro-style. The own story of the real peasant that inspired the play that was adapted in this movie is very well designed to it. Perhaps the best virtue of this production, and probably the lasting one, is that it relatively free itself of its theatrical ancestry. The visual elements are there even in a much more popular way than in comparison to more pretentious and artistic "Piccolo Mondo Antico"(1941), by Mario Soldati, a mark of Italian cinema produced under Mussolini's years. Soldati's movie equally has a theme linked with Italian unification, although in a later period - here late 17th century and early 18th, there 1850s. The ambiguity of the character of Fra'Diavolo (Enzo Fiermonte) in relation to two women in love with him doesn't make him a romantic hero in a more typical way as Soldati's main character. Perhaps an womanizer sounds better and more virile to generic conventions and we couldn't forget that its linkage with American western isn't resumed to cavalry or shooting sequences. At least a dozen of other versions were produced to large and small screen, but the character was particularly popular in the silent years, when half of those productions were released - including a British and an American one (the last one made by Alice Guy).
3 Reviews
The true story of a great lover, adventurer, brigand and politician
clanciai3 September 2019
This is a true story of timeless interest, as the central rogue made quite a career in his short life, advancing from a mountain brigand in the hills around Naples, leading a a band robbing travellers, to becoming a leading figure of the state with considerable political influence, at the same time leading his bandits in a guerilla warfare against the French under Napoleon and having two mistresses at the same time, marrying one of them but remaining faithful also to the other, both sincerely loving him and never betraying him, here made into a spectacular movie in the middle of the second world war, very much romanticised and given an alternative ending to the tale, while in reality he was hanged by the French at only 35. The film is well made, it's all very realistic, the costumes are extremely picturesque, especially those of the brigands, the actors are also doing very well, the ladies are lovely, but best of all is the music, excellently well composed and chosen to match both frenzied chases by horse or coach, ballroom parties (with Weber's ´"Aufforderung zom Tanz") and idyllic pastoral moments of romance and tender love. The film is rather constricted, only 80 minutes, but it offers everything, and as it is a true story on the whole, the satisfaction it gives will remain.
Fighting for the freedom of Naples.
ItalianGerry9 May 2004
Warning: Spoilers
(Some spoilers) Luigi Zampa's first directorial effort was this romanticised portrayal of the adventures of Michele Pezza (1771-1806), widely known as Fra Diavolo, a legendary Zorro-like peasant bandit who led a fight against the Napoleonic army to free the Kingdom of Naples from the French.
Besides having a talent for noble banditry, Fra Diavolo had a way with the women, so much so that when he and his men hold up a coach, the French Gabriella del Pra finds him "un homme charmant" and claims "Adoro I briganti I adore brigands." Our bandit hero is brazen enough to crash a masked ball thrown by the French nobility in which he claims to be disguised as Fra Diavolo, when in fact, he is the very man himself.
Fra Diavolo's fortunes ascend when he is given a post as a colonel in the Naples army by King Ferdinand IV, and he marries Fortunata Consiglio, a noble Neapolitan he has loved for a while.
Domesticity proves too boring for him, however, and he returns to the life of his irregular armed band and fight anew the once-again potent French forces and is involved in a major battle with them near the city of Itri.
The assistance of Gabriella will be invaluable for him at the end, when he is captured by the French under General Hugo, and is about to be hanged. She is able to procure him a reprieve, something that did not happen in reality, since it is a historical fact that he was indeed hanged in Naples in 1806. In this version he escapes and passes into the Campania countryside and into legend, into an 1830 opera by Auber, and into culinary terminology as well. "Lobster Fra Diavolo", is prepared with a spicy hot pepper sauce.
Enzo Fiermonte exudes a perfect Errol Flynn air as Fra Diavolo. The actresses who play Gabriella (Maria Nucci) and wife Fortunata (Elsa De Giorgi) are perfectly suited for their roles. The whole film exudes the air of a class-A production and was one of the most popular and critically applauded Italian wartime pictures.
Besides having a talent for noble banditry, Fra Diavolo had a way with the women, so much so that when he and his men hold up a coach, the French Gabriella del Pra finds him "un homme charmant" and claims "Adoro I briganti I adore brigands." Our bandit hero is brazen enough to crash a masked ball thrown by the French nobility in which he claims to be disguised as Fra Diavolo, when in fact, he is the very man himself.
Fra Diavolo's fortunes ascend when he is given a post as a colonel in the Naples army by King Ferdinand IV, and he marries Fortunata Consiglio, a noble Neapolitan he has loved for a while.
Domesticity proves too boring for him, however, and he returns to the life of his irregular armed band and fight anew the once-again potent French forces and is involved in a major battle with them near the city of Itri.
The assistance of Gabriella will be invaluable for him at the end, when he is captured by the French under General Hugo, and is about to be hanged. She is able to procure him a reprieve, something that did not happen in reality, since it is a historical fact that he was indeed hanged in Naples in 1806. In this version he escapes and passes into the Campania countryside and into legend, into an 1830 opera by Auber, and into culinary terminology as well. "Lobster Fra Diavolo", is prepared with a spicy hot pepper sauce.
Enzo Fiermonte exudes a perfect Errol Flynn air as Fra Diavolo. The actresses who play Gabriella (Maria Nucci) and wife Fortunata (Elsa De Giorgi) are perfectly suited for their roles. The whole film exudes the air of a class-A production and was one of the most popular and critically applauded Italian wartime pictures.
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