The Mattei Affair ***** (1972, Gian Maria Volontè, Luigi Squarzina, Peter Baldwin) – Classic Movie Review 8606

Director Francesco Rosi’s 1972 biographical docudrama The Mattei Affair [Il Caso Mattei] stars Gian Maria Volontè, who is superb as Italian socialist oil mogul Enrico Mattei in Rosi’s masterly biopic of the World War Two freedom-fighter against the Nazis turned public investor in methane gas.

Having made lots of enemies, Mattei died in suspicious circumstances in an air crash in his private plane in Bascape, near Milan, on 27 October 1962.

The Mattei Affair [Il Caso Mattei] is a commanding, intelligent movie, superbly realized, and it is one of the most outstanding features of this period from Italy.

The Mattei Affair [Il Caso Mattei] is the joint Palme D’Or winner at the Cannes Film Festival in 1972 (tied with The Working Class Go to Heaven [La classe operaia va in paradiso]).

Also in the cast are Luigi Squarzina, Peter Baldwin, Renato Romano, Franco Graziosi, Luciano Colitti, Edda Ferronao and Gianfranco Ombuen.

The Mattei Affair [Il Caso Mattei] is directed by Francesco Rosi, runs 116 minutes, is made by Vides Cinematografica and Verona Produzione, is released by Cristaldifilm (1972) (Italy), Paramount Pictures (1973) (US) and Cinegate (1974) (UK), is written by Francesco Rosi and Tonino Guerra (story and screenplay), and Nerio Minuzzo and Tito Di Stefano (collaboration), is shot in Technicolor by Pasqualino De Santis, is produced by Franco Cristaldi, is scored by Piero Piccioni and is designed by Andrea Crisanti.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8606

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