One of the most beautiful films about the Italian Resistance
A perfectly held together mix of performances and events, resulting in an epic film that never loses sight of the strong emotional immediacy of the subject matter
In directing one of the most beautiful films about the Italian Resistance, Nanni Loy for the first time appeared to have reached a maturity and mastery of his craft. The result of careful historical documentation, at the centre of Le quattro giornate di Napoli there is a remarkable sense of civil commitment: the war against war is driven by the enormous sense of solidarity felt amongst those engaged in the struggle. The film manages to give an epic dimension to the events depicted, without ever losing sight of the strong emotional immediacy of the story being told. Instead of a linear narrative progression, the director chooses to pick episodes from a vast reservoir of material at his disposal, expertly holding them all together. He displays the same balance in dealing with the large cast, allowing him to obtain wonderful performances from big name stars as well as from a myriad of “small” local actors.
September 28th, 1943. Following the shooting of some Italian sailors, the popular uprising in Naples against the Nazis flares up within a matter of hours. In just four days, the local population drives the Germans occupiers from the city before the arrival of the Allied Forces. The film reconstructs those four days, following a variety of characters and depicting some of the events that made it possible.
One of the most beautiful films about the Italian Resistance
A perfectly held together mix of performances and events, resulting in an epic film that never loses sight of the strong emotional immediacy of the subject matter
In directing one of the most beautiful films about the Italian Resistance, Nanni Loy for the first time appeared to have reached a maturity and mastery of his craft. The result of careful historical documentation, at the centre of Le quattro giornate di Napoli there is a remarkable sense of civil commitment: the war against war is driven by the enormous sense of solidarity felt amongst those engaged in the struggle. The film manages to give an epic dimension to the events depicted, without ever losing sight of the strong emotional immediacy of the story being told. Instead of a linear narrative progression, the director chooses to pick episodes from a vast reservoir of material at his disposal, expertly holding them all together. He displays the same balance in dealing with the large cast, allowing him to obtain wonderful performances from big name stars as well as from a myriad of “small” local actors.
September 28th, 1943. Following the shooting of some Italian sailors, the popular uprising in Naples against the Nazis flares up within a matter of hours. In just four days, the local population drives the Germans occupiers from the city before the arrival of the Allied Forces. The film reconstructs those four days, following a variety of characters and depicting some of the events that made it possible.
