Review of Rocco and His Brothers (1960) by Jack S — 30 Oct 2010
Family drama, sibling rivalry, doomed romance, class struggle, boxing flick, tragedy--in three hours, Rocco and his Brothers packs in enough to qualify as a true epic.
Half a century later, two aspects catch you off-guard: The movie more than once veers into melodrama. And the framing device is strange: At different points in the film, breaking it into chapters, a brother's name will appear on the screen. Yet, for the most part the segments all come back to Rocco. And why not? His name is in the title, and he's played by the devilishly handsome Alain Delon, once again pretending he's Italian.
You also get a pre-Pink Panther Claudia Cardinale and the music of a pre-Godfather Nino Rota.
Perhaps most compelling to modern viewers are the notions of class and prejudice the movie presents: The cosmopolitan Milan residents look down on new arrivals who are hoping to improve their fate. A timeless theme, really. And commercials for the new Mark Wahlberg flick The Fighter recall the boxing-brothers storyline here. Is there truly nothing new under the sun?
This review of Rocco and His Brothers (1960) was written by Jack S on 30 Oct 2010.
Rocco and His Brothers has generally received very positive reviews.
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