The Four Days of Naples [Le Quattro Giornate di Napoli] **** (1962, Regina Bianchi, Aldo Guffre, Lea Massari, Jean Sorel) – Classic Movie Review 12,992

The 1963 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar nomination deservedly went to this powerfully staged and extremely potent re-enactment of the 1943 blood-stained but successful revolt by the citizens of Naples against the Nazis. 

Director Nanni Loy’s honourable, highly significant 1962 Italian black and white war drama film The Four Days of Naples [Le Quattro Giornate di Napoli] stars Regina Bianchi, Aldo Guffre, Lea Massari, Jean Sorel, Franco Sportelli, Charles Belmont, Gian Maria Volonte, and Frank Wolff.

The 1963 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar nomination deservedly went to this powerfully staged and extremely potent re-enactment of the 1943 blood-stained but successful revolt by the citizens of Naples against the Nazis, who treated them appallingly, despatching all men up to the age of 50 to slave-labour internment camps.

The extraordinary, now too little remembered story ends triumphantly with the departure of the Nazis and the arrival of the Allied forces. It is a noble film, up to the challenges of respecting, honouring and celebrating a noble event.

The script by Nanni Loy, Pasquale Festa Campanile, Massimo Franciosa and Carlo Benari was Oscar-nominated too. It was a 1964 Oscar nominee for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen: Pasquale Festa Campanile (screenplay/ story), Massimo Franciosa (screenplay/ story), Nanni Loy (screenplay/ story), Vasco Pratolini (story) and Carlo Bernari (screenplay).

Of course you could argue that this important film should have won the Best Foreign Language Film and Best Writing Oscars, along with the Bafta Best Film from any Source and Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film, but it ended up as a nominee in both of those cases too.

Also in the cast are Domenico Formato, Raffaele Barbato, Luigi de Filippo, Pupella Maggio and Georges Wilson.

All the actors agreed to be uncredited in honour of the civilians who died in the uprising and went without official recognition.

The Four Days of Naples [Le Quattro Giornate Di Napoli] is directed by Nanni Loy, runs 120 minutes, is made by Titanus – Metro, is released by Titanus (Italy, 1962), Gala Film Distributors (UK, 1963) and (MGM) (US, 1963), is written byPasquale Festa Campanile (screenplay/ story), Massimo Franciosa (screenplay/ story), Nanni Loy (screenplay/ story), Vasco Pratolini (story) and Carlo Bernari (screenplay), is shot in black and white by Marcello Gatti, is produced by Goffredo Lombardo, and scored by Carlo Rustichelli.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 12,992

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