Il Cristo proibito

This fascinating and almost wholly unknown classic was was directed by the Italian writer Curzio Malaparte, his only film. Also called "Strange Deception", it is an allegory about justice, guilt, and expiation. It narrates the story of a soldier (stunningly played by Raf Vallone) returning to his Italian village after World War II determined to kill the man who had betrayed and caused the death of his brother during the Nazi occupation. Weary of bloodshed and reprisals, the villagers won't reveal the man's identity. A friend (played by Alain Cuny) is the forbidden Christ", who seeks to expiate the guilt himself. This intense, visually compelling movie has to be one of the cinema's most tender elegies for the innocent. The movie and its background score (composed as well by Malaparte) have many privileged moments of sublime and haunting beauty.

Raf Vallone manages to sustain quite a lot of credibility as an embittered WW2 veteran, who returns to his poor village, bent on avenging his brother's betrayal to the Nazis. But this stark, self-consciously directed, emotionally turbulent parable is so redolent with tortured, pretentious symbolism, and overbearing messages of guilt that it's difficult to enjoy the striking b/w photography and Tuscan locations.

That's the best way to describe this post war drama of a man, Bruno, who looks for vengeance for his brother's death at the hands of the Germans. He searches for the man who betrayed his brother.

His homecoming is riddled with the emotions one would expect, especially from those who have seen enough misery. Although most people seem to know the identity of the culprit, no one, not even Bruno's own family.

And that's why the stark reality of these emotions are only for mature audiences. This is not for the sheltered naive kid who lives in a cubicle and thinks spaghetti Westerns make sense. This is for people who have "been around the block", mature people who don't think it's normal to kill three men each morning before breakfast.

And for those who think that makes it slow paced, it will be slow paced. However, for mature viewers it moves along at a very good pace. There is conflict, suspense and drama throughout that make it seem actually shorter than many modern movies that are allegedly action packed, but actually bore us to death.

Enriching film, both in entertainment value, in learning about people, and in spirituality.

Revenge, Loyality, Brotherhood and other themes get explored here. And all in the wake of the end of WWII. A fresh theme and subject when the movie was produced, you could ask, how it relevant today (or tomorrow for that matter)?

It's the aforementioned themes, that make this movie universally and timelessly (watchable). Not to mention the very good (b/w) cinematography of the movie. Acting wise though this goes a bit OTT. You might find yourself in a peculiar situation watching this and not knowing if the characters are overdoing it or not. But human emotions (and especially after a war ended and some still haven't find their own resolution) run wild here.

A few continuity mistakes aside, this is very well done and if you like emotional drama, this will make for an insightful watch.

After the World War II, the former POW in Russia Bruno Baldi (Raf Vallone) returns to his village in Toscana with the local Andrea (Luigi Tosi) with the intention of revenging his brother Giulio that was betrayed by a villager and shot by a German firing squad. However neither his parents nor his friends reveal the name of the culprit to avoid another bloodbath in their village. During a religious party, the joiner and best friend Antonio (Alain Cuny) discloses to Bruno that he had killed a man twenty years ago in America and he has had trouble to live with that feeling for the rest of his life. Further, he also tells that he had betrayed his brother and was responsible for his death. Bruno throws his knife in the heart of Antonio; before dying, Antonio asks how Bruno could have believed that he could betray his brother and he confesses that he lied to protect the culprit. When the devastated Bruno arrives home with a stain of blood in his shirt, his mother asks if he had killed so-and-so, and tells that only tears may cleanse blood from his hands. Now Bruno seeks out the real culprit for the death of his brother.

"Il Cristo Proibito" is an unknown Italian anti-war masterpiece by director Curzio Malaparte. It is impressive how this fantastic film has only 44 votes in IMDb, indicating that a few worldwide viewers have had the chance to watch it. I have never read or heard anything about director Curzio Malaparte, and I have just read in IMDb that he made only this film. The heartbreaking and credible story of justice, revenge and rue shows the effects of the war in the poor population and the situation of Antonio slightly recalls "Crime and Punishment"; further, the story also gives a message pro-socialism in a religious environment. The cinematography in black and white is awesome, with the use of shadows and magnificent camera angles. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "O Cristo Proibido" ("The Forbidden Christ")