The General’s Men, on MHz Choice

With the sudden rise of political assassinations in America—such as the Israeli embassy workers in DC and the United Healthcare CEO—and the disturbing support they have received from ideological extremists, we might soon need someone like Gen. Carlo Alberto dalla Chiesa. The senior officer in Italy’s Carabinieri (their military police with domestic jurisdiction) strategized the defeat of the Red Brigades and intended to employ similar tactics against the Mafia in Palermo. He was great for Italy, but came to a tragic end. The contemporary parallels are also tragic, but the Carabinieris’ service is edifyingly instructive in creator-director Lucio Pellegrini’s eight-episode The General’s Men, which premiers today on MHz Choice.

As dalla Chiesa explains midway through the series, he has only known war during his adult life. First, he served in the Army, but defected to the Resistance during WWII. Enlisting in the Carabinieri after the War, he waged a losing battle against the Mafia in Sicily before his appointment to head a new anti-terrorism task force to combat the Marxist Red Brigades’ reign of terror.

Some of his methods seem self-evident now, but at the time, they were considered radical by Italian cops. For instance, he recruited Corporals who looked like deadbeat student hippies instead of Corporals, even including a woman. Gone were their standard issue Fiats. He also played some bold gambits, like recruiting the former Liberation theology missionary Silvano Girotto, celebrated by the left as “The Machine Gun Friar,” to serve as an undercover plant. The Red Brigade were not amused, which entailed escalating danger for dalla Chiesa and his unit.

Everyone has heard of the Mafia, but Americans are woefully ignorant of the Red Brigades. Frankly, this series serves as a decent introduction to the violence and fanaticism of the terrorist group. Although the Corporals often express sympathy for the legitimate workers’ complaints the Brigades exploit (largely being working-class themselves), their terrorism is never presented in justifiable terms. In fact, it is often portrayed as quite sudden, brutal, and shocking.

Indeed, this is a terrific period piece that impeccably recreates the look and over-heated tenor of the 1970’s. Aptly, dalla Chiesa’s loyal lieutenant, Nicola Amato asserts during his voice-overs, the 1980s only really properly started in Italy with 1982, at which point the Brigade’s terrorism finally crested. Unfortunately, for dalla Chiesa, it would be a case out of the frying pan, into the fire.

Essentially, The General’s Men is three parts historical procedural and one part passion play—since we know from the prologue dalla Chiesa’s story ends with tears. However, it is all played with conviction by a large ensemble cast that completely look their parts, often in very uncomfortable ways (involving humiliating hair-styles and textiles that breath poorly).

Citadel: Diana, on Prime Video

Imagine if Thrush won and U.N.C.L.E. lost—or if you are a Get Smart fan, CONTROL lost and KAOS won (but in retrospect, doesn’t “CONTROL” sound more sinister than “KAOS?”). Regardless, Citadel has fallen as viewers of the mothership series fully understand. As far as their deep-cover Italian mole knows, she is the final Citadel survivor in showrunner Gina Gardini’s six-episode Italian spinoff, Citadel: Diana, which premieres tomorrow on Prime Video.

Diana Cavalieri never quits. That is why Gabriele, her Citadel handler, approached her, just as she uncovered evidence of high-level government involvement in the explosion that killed her parents. Of course, that was only part of the story. It was really the Italian branch of Manticore, Citadel’s nemesis, who was pulling the strings. With his guidance, she attracts the attention of Manticore recruiters, pretending to be the good guys to entice her.

Gabriele kept Cavalieri’s cover so deep, only he knew of her existence. Obviously, that was a blessing since Citadel fell. That day was a triumph for Manticore across the world, except in Italy, because the heir apparent was killed during the raid. Now, Edo Zani stands to succeed his father, ruthlessly elegant arms dealer Ettore Zani, if anything is left. Manticore France and Manticore Germany have sanctioned Manticore Italy, punishing Ettore for his unsuccessful power play for control of the European market.

The last Zani heir has ideas about reclaiming their “rightful” position. He also starts noticing Cavalieri, both professionally and personally, which will be useful in her quest for vengeance. However, given the nature of the missions they undertake together, his attention might not be so great for her general day-to-day survival.

The action set pieces of Citadel: Diana lack the bombastic spectacle of the original Citadel anchor series, but the spinoff is considerably more stylish, which probably stands to reason. It is Italian, after all. These spies are catwalk ready, but Cavalieri’s asymmetrical coif is weirdly distracting. It seems like it would require too much maintenance for a field operative.

Regardless, Gardini and series director Arnaldo Catinari make the most of the visually intriguing locations. Through the use of some judicious but eye-popping CGI, the series also creates stunning images of the Duomo di Milano in ruins, which in this world, Manticore Italy cynically destroyed as distraction.

Cesare Mori: the Iron Prefect

To this day, there is a reservoir of good will for Mussolini’s Fascist Party in Sicily, thanks in large measure to the “Iron Prefect.” Although he had a checkered personal history with the Fascists, he pursued the Mafia like an Italian Elliott Ness, getting better results for his efforts. After all, they do not give you a nickname like the Iron Prefect for nothing. Gangs will be busted but not permanently eradicated in the historical crime mini-series Cesare Mori (trailer here), which is now available on DVD from MHz Networks.

Mori was a hard cop to kill. During his first posting in Sicily, he stepped on all the wrong toes pursuing the Carlino Gang and the murder of Count Chiaramonte. Mori succeeds in routing the Carlinos, perhaps too well, leaving a vacuum open for the Mafia factions responsible for the Chiaramonte homicide. Making a deal with the devil, the widow Elena Chiaramonte forges an alliance with the Mafia’s facilitators. She will regret this, but not before she supplies a bogus alibi to her husband’s murderer.

With his prosecution scuttled, Mori is promoted up and out of Dodge. In Bologna, he became the only Prefect to stand up to Black Shirt thuggery. Yet, Mussolini was still willing to return him to Sicily with greater authority when the Mafia’s power started to eclipse that of the state.

Without question, the most intriguing aspect of Cesare Mori the mini-series is Mori’s ambiguous relationship with Il Duce. Conveniently, the real life Mori died before the onset of WWII, so he cannot be implicated in any Fascist war crimes. Still, he was a Party member, who somehow made his peace with Mussolini. Clearly, Pietro Calderoni and his battery of co-screen-writers portray Mori’s fascism much like a reluctant Democrat assistant district attorney in Manhattan. He is keenly aware of the party’s corruption and incompetence, but it is the only game in town if he wants to pursue a career in justice.

On the other hand, the clunkiest storyline in Mori involves Saro, an orphaned mobster’s son temporarily adopted by the Moris until the ambitious future Don Tano Cuccia re-establishes the Mafia’s custody. Watching his high-strung wife pine for the ingrate Saro gets old fast. The production is also rarely helped by Pino Donaggio’s overwrought music, which makes several perfectly respectable dramatic scenes sound and feel unnecessarily melodramatic.

Still, Vincent Pérez (probably best known for the “red cloak” scene in Queen Margot and succeeding Brandon Lee in The Crow: City of Angels) is suitably commanding as Mori. He can also ride a horse, which is important. Evidently, Mori preferred to make his entrances on horseback rather than clambering out of an auto, to cut a more imposing figure with the criminal element. When he swaggers and seethes, Mori works quite well.

Comedic actor Adolfo Margiotta is also surprisingly effective as his deputy, Francesco Spanò, who turns out to be more serious and competent than his hound dog looks suggest. As the Countess, Gabriella Pession generates some flirtatious heat with Pérez, but she is saddled with a problematic character that spends most of the decades-spanning production kidding herself about the state of her affairs.

Mori is a fascinating historical and television figure, whereas Saro is just rather sorry. In fact, it is hard to watch Cesare Mori without analyzing what its respective depictions of Mori, Mussolini, and the Mafia say about current Italian attitudes. In fact, it might be controversial with some audiences because dead-ringer Maurizio Donadoni’s portrayal of Il Duce is unflattering on balance, but not so very different from your average politician on the make. Despite its flaws, director Gianni Lepre keeps the 200 minute mini moving along briskly, while Pérez’s performance provides a steely anchor of conviction. Recommended for fans of gangster dramas with minor aesthetic reservations, Cesare Mori is now available on DVD from MHz Networks.

Sophia Loren and her Stage Mother

It is hard to imagine the golden age of Italian cinema without the great films Sophia Loren did with Carlo Ponti, Vittorio De Sica, and Marcello Mastroianni.  She made plenty of history in Hollywood as well.  Recently, the still glamorous Loren has increasingly found Italian television a hospitable place for her diva turns.  In fact, it has offered her not one but two opportunities to place her sainted mother.  In 1980, Loren played herself as well as Romilda Villani, arguably Italy’s most celebrated stage mother.  Thirty years later, Loren leaves the role of her ingénue-self to an up-and-comer, content with to play Villani in Vittorio Sindoni’s two part mini-series, My House is Full of Mirrors (trailer here), now available on DVD.

In many ways, House is a valentine to Villani and an extended middle finger to her absentee father.  At least the slimy Riccardo Scicolone acknowledged her.  In contrast, he steadfastly refuses to own up to her younger sister, Maria.  However, she would have the last word, writing the book on which House is based.  In fact, House is as much her story as it is her sister’s, particularly when the freshly minted movie star disappears with her producer-lover Ponti for months at a time.  It makes mother Villani feel downright unappreciated, over-sheltering the younger sister to compensate.

In fact, one of House’s best scenes is the meeting between Maria Villani (Scicolone) and Romano Mussolini, one of post-war Italy’s top jazz musicians and her future husband.  Yes, he was the youngest son of that Mussolini, but he did not share his father’s politics (or at least had the good sense to keep his mouth shut about it).  Unfortunately, he turns out to be all too Italian in other ways.  Regardless, it is nice to hear the “In Other Words” motif during their courtship.

Loren still has a forceful presence as Villani and Margareth Madè smolders up the screen as her legendary co-star (talk about an intimidating gig), but the RAI production often looks terribly TV.  (By comparison, season one of Don Matteo appears more polished.)  You would think they would want to step up their game for a screen legend like Loren, but no, evidently Euro-austerity strikes again.

Nonetheless, the novelty attraction of Sophia Loren appearing in her life story (again) will appeal to a number of movie buffs.  For many Americans, the last time we saw her was in Rob Marshall’s not as bad as you might have heard Nine, which shrewdly uses Loren as the film’s sure-fire applause generator, but does not give her very much to do.  Indeed, it is nice to see Loren is still as sharp and elegant as ever.  While House is pretty darned melodramatic, it gives Loren a meaty showcase for the acting chops that she has kept up quite nicely. 

Despite the underwhelming technical package, it is rather fascinating to watch Loren/Lazarro/Villani/Scicolone tell her story, in the persona of her mother, relying on her sister’s text.  Recommended for die-hard Cassandra Crossing-loving Sophia Loren fans, My House is Full of Mirrors is now available on DVD from Vanguard Cinema.

Don Matteo

Don Matteo (in Italian with English subtitles)
12 Episodes on 3 DVDs
Ignatius Press

Why can’t Protestants solve crimes? It seems like all the good sleuths of the cloth are Catholic, like G.K. Chesterton’s Father Brown, Ralph McInerney’s Father Dowling, and Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael, all of whom have been gone from books to television. They also have Italian company in Don Matteo (or Father Matthew), a long-running RAI series about an Umbrian village priest who solves crimes and saves souls, now available to American consumers in a twelve episode collection from Ignatius Press.

Making Matteo more accessible to American audiences is the recognizable presence of actor Terence Hill in the lead role. After taking several parts in Italy under his original name, Mario Girotti, Hill gained notoriety for his work in The Leopard with Burt Lancaster. He changed his name to pursue Hollywood work, the best remembered of which are probably the Trinity comedic westerns and Super Fuzz. (Yes, Don Matteo is Super Fuzz, how super bad is that?). As Father Matteo, Hill projects a strong, reassuring presence, looking a picture of craggy but vital late middle age.

The supporting cast does not always come off as well as the good father. The rectory’s domestic servants provide downright painful comic relief. The Carabinieri, the coppers, fare somewhat better. The banter between Captain Anceschi and Marshall Cecchini kind of grows on you, and the scenes in which Matteo offers them spiritual counseling adds a dimension never seen in American hour-long dramatic television.

Released by the Catholic publishing company, Ignatius Press, Don Matteo, does indeed take faith seriously. Matteo’s concern for his flock extends to both the souls of victims and perpetrators. Some storylines therefore unfold a little differently than American viewers might expect, like in “Murder in the Library,” in which the mysterious Vatican scroll actually does not conceal a secret that could undermine the entire Catholic Church. Unfortunately, some Hollywood conventions evidently extend to Italy, like a tiresome storyline about the new Mayor’s pursuit of environmental policies over the opposition of the local landed interests, but at least Milena Miconi brings a Jane Seymour-like appeal to the role.

Given the limits of fifty minute episodes, the mysteries are not particularly complex, but the writers try not to blatantly telegraph every plot development. Still, the strongest aspect of Matteo is its treatment of Catholic faith. In an episode like “The Poisoned Chalice” we see Father Matteo, shaken by several attempts on his life, find strength through prayer. Though Matteo frequently quotes other sources (including even the Quran), he speaks pretty directly about God and Jesus, as when he tells the killer in the first collected episode: “The godless can’t even imagine how limitless God’s love is.”

Set in the picturesque town of Gubbio, Matteo looks great, often acting as a persuasive commercial for Umbrian tourism, enhanced by Pino Donaggio’s breezy theme music. Hill is still a cool screen presence, giving Matteo real charisma. Definitely G-rated and probably considered corny by Italian hipsters, Don Matteo is not perfect (again that comic relief must not translate well), but it has a real novelty appeal, given the cynical treatment of all organized Christianity and Catholicism in particular on American television.