The Film (4/5)

This film opens with an informative (if very abridged) history lesson into the revolution that brought about the country of Italy as we know it today. Then it jumps into the action as General Giuseppe Garibaldi (Renzo Ricci) is attempting to build an army and acquire guns and ammunition. His goal is to unify Italy. In the mid-1800s, Italy was composed of several territories owned by various factions and kingdoms. In 1860, Garibaldi led a force of volunteers across Italy to fight Napoleonic forces and other interested parties trying to keep the status quo. The beginnings of this revolution are slow going but support from the press and those in favor of unification begins to turn the tide in Garibaldi’s favor.

War is not glorified here and the combatants in these battles are not elevated to superheroes. Director Rossellini shows the viewer the madness of war and the countless lives that must be lost to bring about even the smallest of victories. Everyone in the film is very human, especially Garibaldi himself who is expertly portrayed by Ricci. He plays him as a man that, despite being full of doubts, rises to the occasion when his people need him.

Cinematographer Luciano Trasatti captures Viva l’Italia in all its epic splendor masterfully and composer Renzo Rossellini (the director’s younger brother) provides the driving and inspirational score. Renzo also served as second unit director on this film as well! This film had four writers on staff but most notably is Sergio Amidei whose career spanned nearly 45 years in the business. He frequently collaborated with Roberto Rosellini and wrote many, many comedies and dramas before his death in 1981. The lavish sets, architecture, and choice of settings are all beautiful to behold, especially if you are gaga for Italy like I am.  

Audio/Video (4/5)

There’s some very minor damage to this gorgeous 1.66:1 print but otherwise, Arrow Academy has done wonders with this 67-year-old film. This was Rossellini’s second feature film in color and it has been lovingly restored by Arrow. The sound is in great shape as well with the rousing music and sounds of battle coming across very robustly. The original mono Italian audio sounds very clear and robust. Even the English language version (in the extras) on the disc sounds rather good too.

Extras (4/5)

The first big extra is the shorter English dubbed version of Viva l’Italia simply called Garibaldi. The Italian version is the way to go but it’s a cool extra nonetheless. There’s an interview with good old Cannibal Holocaust himself Ruggero Deodato! He was in his early 20s when he got to work on the film as Rossellini’s assistant and has some fun memories to share about the making of Viva l’Italia. He tells a great story of getting punched in the face by a local man during production. There is a featurette called “I Am Garibaldi” where author Tag Gallagher talks about this film and why it was such a significant film for its director. The disc also comes with a booklet with an essay by film critic and filmmaker, Michael Pattison. This essay adds even more info on the film and even more context to the historical drama onscreen.

Overall

Roberto Rossellini idolized Giuseppe Garibaldi but he didn’t want to do the man a disservice by romanticizing his place in Italian history. Though he refused to glamorize these crucial incidents, Viva l’Italia is immediately intriguing and quite tense throughout. This film is a heavy watch so make sure you have time to devote your attention to it. If you do, you’ll be richly rewarded. Rossellini often said that this was his favorite film he’d ever made.