"However, two years later, Moro was kidnapped and murdered by communist terrorists and the joke went stale." This is taken from the trivia about Todo modo. I don't think such a film can be described as a joke. However, the movie ain't stale, mister. Not at all. I saw it a few days ago (it was something of an event because obviously Italian TV does NOT show such films), and it was sort of a shock. Who cares about Moro and the DC? Moro died in 1978 and the Democrazia Cristiana does not exist anymore (though many politicians who belonged to that party are still in power today). But Italy is still like that. Todo modo is definitely not a realistic film. It's a claustrophobic nightmare, a deranged vision of the worst aspects of my country. But it's still true. It still applies. It ain't stale, not at all. Besides, it features three breath-taking performances by very different actors such as Ciccio Ingrassia (one of our greatest actors, unjustly underrated because of his success as a B-movie comedian), Gian Maria Volontè (one of the greatest actors ever, had he lived and worked in the USA he would be mentioned just everywhere) and Marcello Mastroianni (a famous actor I don't always like, but this is his best performance with his cynical role in La dolce vita). It's a real shame there's no DVD available. But then our prime minister is Silvio Berlusconi, we can't complain... this is what we deserve.
