Cinema Italia: Many Years Ago (Francesco Rosi, 1970)

- November 17th, 2024

Sunday November 17, 2024, Many Years Ago (1970) * Directed by Francesco Rosi * 101 min * In Italian with English subtitles * doors open at 20:00, film starts at 20:30. After the film, please engage in sharing comments, ideas, and inspiration with the host(s) of the evening!

Set in the First World War for its pacifist and anti-militarist message, it was boycotted from cinemas on its release. The general’s orders ridicule the high command and show the inhumanity of the conflict, while soldiers represent the ideal types of conflicting political and social ideas such as monarchy and socialism, which have to coexist at the front. The film’s dramatic tone, which distances it from the book on which it was inspired, was harshly criticised at the time of its release. Looking at it through today’s lenses — more than 50 years later — it is more relevant than ever. In fact, over a century has passed since the events recounted, in the year 1916 on the Asiago Plateau; however, the contrast between the war of generals and the war of simple soldiers sweeps away the false myth of the war hero because the enemy is not the enemy soldiers but their own commanders.

Film night at Joe’s Garage, cozy cinema! Free entrance. You want to screen a movie, let us know: joe [at] lists [dot] squat [dot] net