The Secret of Santa Vittoria – 1969 – English

The Secret of Santa Vittoria – 1969 – English

Full movie in English – Comedy – Drama – War

The Secret of Santa Vittoria – 1969 – English

War film directed in 1969 by Stanley Kramer, and starring Anthony Quinn, Anna Magnani, Hardy Krüger, Virna Lisi, Sergio Franchi, Renato Rascel, Giancarlo Giannini, Eduardo Ciannelli, Valentina Cortese…

Synopsis: Bombolini is a fairly worthless drunk in the small Italian town of Santa Vittoria in the closing days of World War II. When word comes that the Fascist government has surrendered, he climbs a water tower to tear down the flag. He can’t get down and someone gets the crowd to chant his name to give him confidence. The Fascist town council hears this and believes that he is the town’s new leader. They surrender to him and make him the new mayor. He rises to the occasion and when he finds that the Germans plan to occupy his town and take their wine (over a million bottles) he works out a plan to hide it.

Review: This is top notch Anthony Quinn- he is terrific, and the entire cast is excellent. Looking forward to seeing the entire film now. Unlike another reviewer, I loved his over-the-top reaction to the German Captain’s telling him he wanted the village’s wine. Hardy Kruger, as the captain, gives a nuanced performance that adds a great deal to the film.

One of the great joys of this movie is the Italian location and extras. The economics of contemporary movie making rarely allow for true location shooting anymore, and its too bad. As these films from the 60s and 70s age, they become increasingly valuable as an historical record.

This movie also has a wonderful heart- it’s a celebration of what makes life worth living. Highly recommended.