La mano sul fucile

An Italian low budget anti-war film shot in documentary style, portraying the ruthless fight between fascists and communists in mountainous northern Italy in the spring of 1944. The slow pace and the absence of dialogue in big parts of the film reminded me of Alan Clarke's Contact (1985). Upon its release the film was criticized for taking a politically neutral stance (i.e. Not anti-fascist), by humanizing all the combatants and showing that similar personalities and the same fears existed on both sides. Interesting as a reminder of the horrors of the past, and a warning, in a country that was moving towards the political extremism of the years of lead of the 70s.