ShangLuda Admirable film.

Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Donald Seymour This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

gkeith_1 Studied Italian recently at The Ohio State University. Studied some Italian cinema. Enjoyed trying to understand conversation in this movie; tried not to look at subtitles. Wife looked like Brigitte Bardot, and a little like younger Jane Fonda. Girls throwing yucky food on floor was funny. Plant manager sounded like he was speaking Americanized Italian (like me), lol. Wife thinks, "His mother hates me." Creepy friar with water dousing stick. Toothless father too short and emaciated; didn't convince me he could be the father of main character.My Italian coursework included geographical studies, such as Italy's 20 regions. One is Sicily, a separate island with its own dialect. It is known for poverty and Mafia. This movie showed how they go hand in hand. My coursework was up to date, even though decades after this movie. Apparently those two stereotypes are still true. Kidnappings are prevalent in Italy, especially of young children of wealthy parents.Milano (Milan, to Americans) is still the money capital of Italy. Not only is Milano the home of Fiat, Lamborghini and Alfa Romeo, but it is also the fashion design capital with brands such as Gucci, Versace, Armani, etc. There are fancy apartments and lots and lots of material worshipping people. Banks are huge. Capitalism is supreme. Milano is the big metropolis: the New York City of Italy.We saw a movie in class about southern Italy. The story took place in a small, isolated town with rural surroundings. It was creepy. It was prime territory for criminals to hide a kidnap victim. There was no air conditioning, just an old decrepit kitchen table fan. The mother was raped by the crooks. Ick.At least "Mafioso" was funny in places.

RanchoTuVu Mafia ties run deep in this film about a middle level manager in an auto plant in Milan who takes his family to his native Sicily for a summer vacation. Admired by his old childhood friends who can't take their eyes off of his attractive wife, he's the local boy who makes good in the big city. But "Mafioso" presents the deep ties that connect him into his ancestral village, portraying a system that runs deep in this Sicilian setting of an ancient village in which his family's connections intertwine with local Cosa Nostra. The director and the lead actor both make this a film in which one can savor just about every scene. Alberto Sordi connects the comedy with the drama, the good humored happy family man obligated into the "brotherhood" by Don Vicenzo and his right hand man to do his part, keeping him literally in the dark.

sonofgodtrujesus I've never seen black and white film look so rich, sensuous and stunningly attractive; Cinematographer Armando Nannuzzi hit the nail on the head, creating a very rich and vibrant looking film. At times my mind naturally filled in the colors due to the crisp clarity of all the images, both of natural, rural scenes, and modern, city/industrial settings.Art director Carlo Egidi masterfully blends the surrounding background of everyday life with his set designs and costumes so that it is impossible to separate the two; truly a mirrored recreation of the day in the life of a modern Sicilian during mid-60's. Each scene is so thought out, and crafted so well that at times their is an almost alien effect, due to the deep endearing political and social dynamics which has become lost in our culture and films today in the 21st century. This effect at times appears exaggerated due to its robust social nature, yet does the job in creating a warm, stunning and beautiful feel to this film.

marco giusti How wonderful it is to start the year and to know that you have possibly already found what is going to be your favorite movie of the year: MAFIOSO is that movie!I had never seen the film and never seen much of director's LAttuada's work either. I am Italian yet in Italy LAttuada is not really considered as one of the great directors...well it is about time this changed. We have to thank the folks at Rialto Pictures (who id re-releasing the film in the US) for rediscovering this great talent. I wish they started rediscovering him also in Italy...well, too often a country doesn't appreciate its talents! Anyway...LAttuada directs with a great sense of storytelling, every shot has its reason to be and is there to bring the story forward. His capacity of being in control and keeping all the aspects of the film together is exemplary: The cinematography is incredible, manages at the same time to create a mood and to be absolutely concentrated in serving the script. The way the film uses its musical score is super modern (I would like to mention the genius score by Piero Piccioni) The editing is exceptional, never a flaw, never a scene that lasts too log or too little. The overall feeling at the end is that of a perfectly cohesive film. And one that makes you think too...and think a lot!I am not a big mafia movie fan, but this one is different from any other I have ever seen, has a way of turning comedy into tragedy and tragedy into comedy that I have not seen too often on the screen.Alberto Sordi is one of the best actors Italy has ever had: please go and discover his talent and his genius. I say MAfioso is well worth your time, if you don't go and see it it is your big loss!