O Segredo de Santa Vitória

Recently, I have had a chance to see Stanley Kramer's film on the big screen as a part of movie theater shows commemorating Anthony Quinn's 100 birth anniversary. The versatile and extremely talented actor as he was leads the expectation to keep at the very high level. And hardly ever are you, as a viewer, disappointed with the poignant portrayal of the leading character. However, THE SECRET OF SANTA VITTORIA clearly appears to be not merely an Anthony Quinn movie.

As a matter of fact, the storyline itself does not raise much enthusiasm and does not offer so much as to make for a film that can really stand a test of time. Although it is set in the idyllic little town somewhere in the middle of the Italian peninsula and filmed primarily in such renowned surroundings as Viterbo or Tivoli, that is not where its power lies. Thoough the views are terrific. Nor does it in the direction by a renowned (at the time) but also controversial director Stanely Kramer. The movie's major strength lies in its 'characters' no matter if they are portrayed by greatest stars of the time (indeed, it is not short of them) or simple extras, the innumerable citizens of the town of Santa Vittoria, Bosley Crowther, the New York Times reviewer called a "picturesque familiar lot." The center of their town is a square (naturally) and a fountain with no saint but...a cute turtle, a silent observer of making history.

In the character of the protagonist, Vittorio Bombolini, played magnificently by ANTHONY QUINN, you can easily recognize a variety of features that make him, on the one hand, one of the most 'ridiculous' mayors of a town like this and, on the other hand, one of the most appealing and likable fellows, one from his community, who 'smells his people.' He beautifully combines humor, parody even, responsibility, sentiment, compassion. After the propaganda of "Mussolini is always right" the new times for Santa Vittoria come..."Bombolini is always right." Corso Mussolini turns into Corso Bombolini and his people, except for his closest family (above all his wife Rosa) seem to like him. He forms a government of a very unique quality, something to laugh at...perhaps, but something to take for granted. They are all far from being sort of 'bookworms' or very learned in the statutes and law. However, his diplomatic mission will face a very hard dilemma of saving their greatest treasure, the local wine from the German occupying force. Anthony Quinn's moments prove sheer brilliance of performance and are all high worth seeing.

ANNA MAGNANI as his wife Rosa delivers a tremendously emotional performance as a wife, as a mother, hardly a 'public persona.' The great amount of humanity that she puts to the role results in pure enjoyment of seeing her on the screen. Sometimes too brutal to her husband, sometimes furious, sometimes shedding a tear of two, she is never pale, a very vivid character that has not lost any of her power after the years.

Quite a contrast to her 'neurotic' character appears to be La Contessa, Caterina played by an underrated Italian actress VIRNA LISI. She is a classical woman of inner struggle tormented by the choice of love. Is there any choice when she goes with the German (Hardy Krueger)? Clearly in love with Tufa (Sergio Franchi) whom she first nurses with the wounds of the war, she represents the positive aspect of aristocracy. Particularly appealing when working with the people when one passes to another...bottles of wine.

A very interesting couple and a backdrop love story are Angela (Patrizia Valturri) and Fabio (Giancarlo Giannini). Two young people quite underrated in the town (consider Fabio bringing news to the town and the ignorance he meets). Their love affair is both serious and hilarious, something of a classical drama. Shocked parents end up taking part in the wedding of their 'beloved child' they have always aimed at protecting...

SOME MOMENTS OF EXCEPTIONAL NOTE: The scene of passing the wine is, perhaps, too long but as it constitutes the crucial aspect of the plot, it remains most memorable. The almost 'acrophobic' moment of erasing the slogan "Mussolini is always right" highlights the irony of historic changes. The finale, being simultaneously dramatic, comedic and uplifting still makes viewers absorbed in every little move and helps leave the cinema with a smile and satisfaction of having seen something valuable.

It occurs, with the passing of years, that THE SECRET OF SANTA VITTORIA is a movie like no other movie. Yes, like Cinzano wine, a wine like no other wine! This movie-wine relation is inseparable: the older, the better!

I read "The Secret Of Santa Vittoria" about ten years ago and I thought it would make a good movie. It turned out that Stanley Kramer had the same idea back in 1968. The movie is a bit uneven, but I thought there were some good moments. The film did a good job of showing the people of the town hiding the wine in the old cave. Their exhaustive work indicated how important and vital the wine was to the town. Anthony Quinn may have been a bit too broad in certain scenes. Also, there's something in his screen persona that indicates a forceful personality that seems to contradict the clownishness of his character. I liked Hardy Kruger and thought there was a little more to his character than the usual one dimensional evil Nazi seen in a million other World War II films. Apparently Anna Magnani really didn't care much for Quinn. In the scene where she repeatedly kicked him she broke her foot. The real town of Santa Vittoria was not chosen as the location because it was too modern in appearance by 1968, so the the beautiful and atmospheric town of Anticoli Corrado was chosen as the location.

Anthony Quinn's performance in The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1969) was worthy of an Academy Award for Best Actor, and certainly honorable mention for Best Picture as well as Best Cinematography. This film has aged well over the past fifty two (52) years and I found myself mesmerized by Anthony Quinn's performance as the drunkard Mayor of Santa Vittoria who develops a questionable plan to hide one million bottles of the towns wine production from the German soldiers who are on their way into town to abscond with all the towns wine and any other valuables the town has to offer them.

It is not an intense dramatic/action film about World War 2, but rather a unique comedic story about the town of Santa Vittoria and its people. The story focuses on the.love/hate relationship of the drunkard towns Mayor Bombolini (Anthony Quinn) and his estranged wife. Rosa (Anna Magnani) as they try and raise their sixteen (16) year old daughter who is falling in love with a local boy. The Mayor Bombolini is challenged to come up with a quick plan to hide the towns 1.3 million bottles of wine from the Germans who are heading to their little town to ravage it and take its spoils of World war 2.

The German Captain Von Prum (Hardy Krüger) appears to be civil but has a difficult assignment in fron of him and his troops in finding out where the one million bottles of wine have been hidden. Strategically May Bombolini has left 300 thousand bottles of wine for the Germans to find to fool them in believing "there is no more wine" which is the mantra that his honor the Mayor Bambolini as well as the townspeople repeats ad nauseum to the German Captain Von Prum.

Quinn is an emotional big man who can't help but steal every scene he appears in and quite frankly, he deserves an Academy Award for his performance which in some scenes is silly comedy but he is an affectionate big man who is a father, husband, and Mayor who loves his family, his townspeople, but especially his town's sacred wine.

I find it hard to believe.that the Hollywood library of film has not placed this film in the top 1000 film category, as part of the Criterion Collection, nor why it has never been released on Blu Ray and now 4K resolution in North America. I trust the manufacturers will right this wrong shortly and release a high quality resolution copy of this classic comedy/romance/war/drama film.

I give it an 8 out of 10 IMDB rating.

When casting this film there was only one actor possible for the lead. It could only have been Anthony Quinn playing lead character and town drunk of Santa Vittorio, Bombolini. The way Quinn plays him so broadly it could only have been the guy who brought Zorba The Greek to the big screen.

When new of the fall of Mussolini's government the town celebrates as most of the town's did until Kesselring's troops occupied them. Because Quinn got himself totally plastered and stuck on a 100 foot water tower taking down pro-Mussolini signs the Fascist council thinks he's the popular leader and they make the town drunk mayor.

All a big joke to the one who knows him best wife Anna Magnani. They have what could be considered a tempestuous relationship. The only kind Magnani ever had on the screen. These scenes have some real bite to them because Quinn and Magnani did not get along at all during the making of The Secret Of Santa Vittoria.

What is that secret you ask? It is the fact that the town which is in the grape growing wine pressing part of Italy has squirreled away much of its wine from the Fascist government. Now however the Nazis threaten to occupy the town and Quinn and the rest of the town have to get real creative in their hiding.

They do and Quinn and Wehrmacht commander Hardy Kruger have quite a battle of wits. The German officer and the town drunk. Who do you think comes out on top?

The Secret Of Santa Vittoria is mostly a comedy, but it gets close to serious once the Germans arrive. Kruger has one of his most interesting parts in his career. He's a lot like Hannes Messemer who was the German Wehrmacht commander in The Great Escape. Kruger too has the S.S. looking over his shoulder.

Watch the film as you see this battle of wits between Quinn and Kruger. Lots of laughs along the way as you see whether Santa Vittoria keeps its wine.

In short there is no other move quite like it. One of those that you might not think to rent, but if you find yourself at the beginning of it, you'll not leave until you see the ending. Quinn is excellent.

The nutshell is that The Germans are coming, and the town has lost all of its older boys and men to the Italian army. They're a wine-producing town, and elect the town-fool to be the "mock mayor". The problem is that they need to hide the wine from the Germans, being their only real treasure. From that premise forward, the movie becomes dark and deeply compelling. I believe that these are some of the best performances of the star-studded actors...

I recommend it, as one of life's "must see's".

(PS: I'm a tough critic, so an "8" for me is just about tops)