The Secret of Santa Vittoria based on the book by Robert Crichton - 9 out of 10

 

The Secret of Santa Vittoria based on the book by Robert Crichton

9 out of 10

 

 

This film has been included in the program of a television channel the other day and seeing it has brought back memories of some decades ago – I would say at least three, but less than four – when watching Anthony Quinn was so exhilarating…he was the titan in Zorba the Greek http://realini.blogspot.com/2014/05/zorba-greek-by-nikos-kazantzakis-zorba.html based on the book by Nikos Kazantzakis, which was included on the list of 100 Greatest Books of All Time, compiled by the luminaries of our age

 

Anthony Quinn was also instrumental, one of the key artists in what could be the best motion picture of all time, Lawrence of Arabia http://realini.blogspot.com/2017/07/lawrence-of-arabia-written-by-robert.html - it is clearly one of the top five or ten for this cinephile – and one of his lines stays with me ‘I am a river to my people’ something his character says when challenged by Lawrence, before the siege of Aqaba, I think it was, and this sheik insists that he is not doing it for the money, plunder, since he is so generous, and I found that inspiring, I often used the quote, especially since it has this self-deprecating ability, double meaning in fact, not having much to be a river with, then there are few that expect much, if anything from me, and thus boasting about it does not imply any costs

The Secret of Santa Vittoria takes place near the end of World War II, at the time when Mussolini falls and the Nazis start withdrawing, pressed by the allies that would win, with victory Day celebrated on May 9 for the war in Europe and then later, after the atomic bombs are dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, for the conflagration in the Pacific, and Santa Vittoria is a small town, of a little over one thousand inhabitants, somewhat unfazed by the conflict, spared the intense calamity, because it is so unimportant in strategic terms, tiny and away from the route of the great war…

 

That had been the situation before we enter the plot, for though they had been spared so far, things will get complicated and the Nazis will be coming to town…but first, Fabio, a young, brave, intrepid, passionate man comes to his town to announce that Mussolini is gone, only to see that the locals have no reaction to this news, indeed, the former dictator had been quite popular with his compatriots, including the main character of the narrative, Bombolini aka Anthony Quinn, who had written on the big water tower ‘Mussolini is always right’ – something that in my youth, after seeing this film that I had enjoyed so much, I would paraphrase and placed in my room, at my parents’ house, stating ‘Realini is always right’ in larger letters, and then adding, in respect to democracy, in small print ‘here’, as if to admit that my opinion, preferences may not prevail in general, but hey, in my room at least, it is what counts

Drunk Bombolini climbs up on the water tower, to paint over his stupid slogan, only to find that he is too tired, and inebriated probably, or most likely, to do the job, and furthermore, he is in danger of falling to his death, when Fabio comes to his rescue, with a rope and they have a discussion on top of the town, with the population gathered to see the catastrophe taking place…this where the clown – as they sometimes call him – explains that Mussolini had promised roads, schools and it had seemed so beautiful

 

The clown becomes the mayor – ‘jesters do oft prove prophets’ said Shakespeare, but then he has also created the most reviled villain, Richard III, who in reality has been nothing of the kind…The Daughter of Time http://realini.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-daughter-of-time-by-josephine-fey.html by Josephine Fey has been voted the best Mystery Novel by the Crime Writers Association CWA and it has inside the incredible investigation into the alleged murders committed because Richard III had ordered them, with the revelation that the infamous king had been innocent and thus we have here one of the myths of history and one of the greatest injustices, since most of humanity has not read the Daughter of Time, alas, and considers Richard III one of the most loathsome humans in history, against the evidence

It may look like the wrong move, after all, the image of Trump comes up, whenever I mention idiot, stupid, calamity I tend to think of the most extraordinary degradation I have seen, it is not just that the man is an absolute disaster, but to think that tens of millions in the USA (and he had fans all around the globe, I have to argue with the ones that pop up at the sauna Downtown on a regular basis) have voted and are ready to do so again, next year – he has a chance in three at this stage, according to an article in The Economist, to be the next leader of the world – is mind boggling and destroys another myth

 

When the Nazis are announced, the locals panic, because they have over one million bottles of wine – and Bombolini says that without the wine, they are nothing’ – and they are worried that the Germans will take their treasure away, in revenge against the former ally, that is now ready to fight against them, and the mayor is unable to think of a way out, until it is suggested to them, the countess I think it was who came with the idea, the people start moving the cases of wine, with mules, carts and all.

However, traffic comes to a stop, cases fall and the wine is spilled, because there is a frenzy and the chaos creates roadblocks, until another clever tactic is envisaged and all the locals are lined up, at a sign, they pass bottles from one to the other, starting from the initial storage, ending where thy have to hide them from the invaders, a timetable is set, then they establish a figure to play the game with the occupiers

 

Now for a question, and invitation – maybe you have a good idea on how we could make more than a million dollars with this http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/02/unique-in-world.html?q=unique+in+the+world  – as it is, this is a unique technique, which we could promote, sell, open the Oscars show with or something and then make lots of money together, if you have the how, I have the product, I just do not know how to get the befits from it, other than the exercise per se

 

As for my role in the Revolution that killed Ceausescu, a smaller Mao, there it is http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/03/realini-in-newsweek-participant-in.html