Salvatore Giuliano

Nathan is a movie buff. He has a collection of films, including some pieces of the ever famous Criterion Collection. I have been watching a lot of the DVD's that I'd never seen before, and I recently finished Salvatore Giuliano. I have to say I didn't like it. It was described to me as the first of the reenactment documentary. The director filmed in all the real locations where the actual events took place. However, it wasn't informative. It appears to be billed as a biopic, but nothing about the events of Giuliano's life are really explained. While there were shots in this movie that were breathtaking, and I found myself in awe, it left me confused, knowing really very little more than I came in with about the title character. Then I utilized the advantage of owning the Criterion DVD and watched the making of documentaries. The purpose of the movie is explained in the special features. It turns out that this movie isn't meant to be a biopic at all. The director didn't film a single thing that he could not also back up in historical fact through photographs, articles, and first person accounts. The film is less about Giuliano and his fellow outlaws than it is about the corruption of the Italian government and police, along with their involvement those same outlaws and the italian mafia. Knowing and understanding didn't make me enjoy the film anymore, but it did help me see what everybody else sees in it.