A young man, Athos, is summoned to his father's home town, Tara, in Italy's Mantuan countryside, by his father's mistress, Draifa, to avenge his father's murder 20 years earlier.
His father, also Athos Magnani, had been the town's martyred hero, executed by the fascists. The school, the main street and even a statue in the main square bare his name.
At first he isn't interested in this mission, but slowly, piece by piece, he uncovers the truth.
The film is incredibly filmed by Vittore Storaro and the muted colors of the Italian countryside, so poetic and somehow timeless. The pacing of the film fits perfectly with the flow of life in this little village.
Through his detective work in his meetings with his father's close buddies, Athos sees how his father's plot to kill Mussolini had also been thwarted by him, and later led to his demise.
The slow unfolding of the truth reminds me of Hitchcock, but it's an original, by a true master.

Filmography

Bernardo Bertolucci (b. Parma, Italy, 1941) The Last Emperor(1987), Last Tango in Paris(1973), The Conformist(1971), Partner (SFIFF 1971), Grim Reaper(SFIFF 1962)

Reviewed by Eric Michel, FilmCities

Country: Italy Year: 1971 Running Time: 100 Min. Producer: Giovanni Bertolucci Cast Giulio Brogi, Alida Valli, Pippo Campanini, Franco Giovanelli, Tino Scotti Editor: Roberto Perpignani Camera: Vittorio Storaro, Franco di Giacomo Screenwriter: Marilu Parolini, Eduardo de Gregorio, Bernardo Bertolucci