Mussolini: The Untold Story

If you are lucky enough to be able to locate this film, it is well worth the effort.

I found it accurate (to a point) and one of George C. Scott's greatest works. This film did not receive the acclaim it should have. It must be seen to be appreciated.

There's one thing you should know before starting the six-hour miniseries Mussolini: The Untold Story - no one puts on an Italian accent. Alright, now that that's out in the open, there's nothing else to criticize. I understand director William Graham's choice, though. It would have eventually become distracting to have all the actors and actresses try (and most likely fail) to put on Italian accents. This way, we can all focus on the acting and the story. For example, Lee Grant (Mussolini's long-suffering wife) talks in her normal New York accent, but in every other respect, she comes across as an authentic Italian woman, wife, and mother. If her voice had been digitally altered, you'd think she was an Italian actress. George C. Scott has never been better, taking up every inch of the screen with his intense energy. He's completely in command and constantly comes across as being one of the most powerful world leaders. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio plays the eldest daughter, torn between love and loyalty and finding out the benefits and detriments to being Mussolini's daughter. On one hand, she wears beautiful clothes and lives in a palace; on the other, she'll never know whether her boyfriend Raul Julia only wants to marry her for political reasons.

You'll see lots of familiar faces that are much more well known now but were just starting out in the 1980s, which is fun. Virginia Madsen is Mussolini's long-suffering mistress, Robert Downey Jr. Is his younger, favored son, and Gabriel Byrne is the older, more ignored son. Even David Suchet has a small role before his Poirot fame.

I can't believe it wasn't nominated for more Emmy and Golden Globe Awards, rather than just Editing and Sound in the former. The amount of work that went into every aspect of the production should be applauded. The costumes and production design were beautiful, and the inventive splicing in of real footage (including colorization in some scenes) added realism to an already true story. George C. Scott poured his heart into the miniseries, and Lee Grant showed the heavy dramatic talents she usually kept hidden. Yes, parts of the story (especially the ending) are hard to watch, but that isn't usually a deterrent come awards season. If you don't know much about Mussolini, you'll be absolutely fascinated by all the information packed into the six hours.

Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to gruesome mob violence, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.

Although it says here it is a seven hour title, I disagree. I recorded the series when it was broadcast in 1985/6, in the USA on a Betamax system, and it was five and half hours long.

I also recorded it in 1989 here in the UK on a VHS system.

The DVD is exactly the same running time today and is exactly the same program scene by scene.

Unless it was drastically cut by one and half hours before it was originally broadcast,I cannot see how it was seven hours long.

All three programs are exactly the same running length.

This does not detract from the program which I think is an excellent portrayal of a man who was corrupt, immoral, and blinded by his own power and ideology.

The acting by George C Scott and Raul Julia is superb,who demonstrate the differences between the two men.

Although not always historically accurate, it does provoke thought about WWII not just from the usual UK/USA & Germany angle, but to the situation in Italy which was still only a country 50 years old and full of conflict after the results of the 1st world war.

I would recommend this to any person interested in a different aspect to troubled period.

Duce - Duce - Duce the crowd screams as the little giant struts out to give the faithful a tough face. George C Scott best known for playing the invincible George Patton on the silver screen has the mannerisms and the facial expressions of the sawdust caeaser who led Italy into a disastrous war and brought about his own downfall.

One of histories great ironies lies in this: Had the Deuce avoided WWII which the Germans really didn't want him involved in anyway, he might have had the acclaim for glory that he vaingloriously sought.

The film presents with a degree of historical accuracy the terrible end to which Italy and its Deuce came as a result of the quest for glory. It comes as a shock that the Anglo-Americans would bomb Rome. Count Ciano lolling on the beach at Lido as the flying fortresses zoom over exclaims, "The Pope lives here." This film is an excellent warning for our time which has produced a new pied-piper. This one claims to personally talk to God. The Deuce at least had the good graces to be an atheist.

If you can find this anywhere, watch it. An excellent cast, featuring George C. Scott and Raul Julia, propel this engaging and often historically-accurate tale of one of the Twentieth Century's most influential men. Memorable production values.