O Ano da Fúria

From the first moment I felt myself well entertained. I did not check the specifics, before after watching it, so I was surprised that it was made so many years after the kidnapping of Aldo Moro. The lighting and filming was stimulating from start to finish. And nothing wrong with the cutting neither. I remember nothing about the sound, so it much have done its job well. The filming ( the grittyness/grain ) and the format, made it seem a true timepiece, that maybe because of that, sometimes balances on the edge of kitsch.

The film's opening prologue states: "Rome - January 1978. Italy is in chaos. A group of terrorists calling themselves the Red Brigade has brought a shocked society to a state bordering on revolution...it is the "Verliebt in die Gefahr"¨ this expression seen in a title card at the start of the movie is the film's "Year of the Gun" title spelled in German . The film takes place in 1978 , a young American called David Raybourne (Andrew McCarthy) arrives in Rome , he is a reporter who begins a novel based on the political instability around him , using the names of real people in his first draft . Soon , an ambitious photojournalist wants to collaborate with him and the Red Brigade terrorist group wishes to remove anyone associated with the book . Then , the photojournalist , Alison King (Sharon Stone) , photographed them in action . Both of whom , Andrew McCarthy and Sharon Stone experience the nasty activities of the Red Brigades terrorists close up in Rome, 1978.

The picture deals with the violent and turbulent times when the dangerous terrorist organization Red Brigades committed terrible crimes , kidnaps and massacre . As the Brigate Rosse or Red Brigades is the principal character in the yarn . This is a thrilling and twisted flick about the political scene in Italy at the time of the kidnapping of the former prime minister Aldo Moro (16 March 1978) . In fact the film's closing epilogue states: "Fifty-four days after he was kidnapped, Aldo Moro's bullet ridden body was found in the trunk of a car parked in the center of Rome". It is a mediocre movie that takes place in ups and downs with surprises and plot twists , but also with unfortunate and unpredictable events . Everything revolves around the unstable highly charged political environment : the university in Rome at that time and politics in Italy during those days of civil unrest during the 1970's .The picture depicts accurately those thunderous and criminal times . Although failing on occasion to balance the thin line it establishes between perception and reality , offering a semi-realistic look at the priorities and lives of political terrorists . Mediocre performances from Andrew McCarthy as American journalist covering political news in Italy discovering the mafia net is at all levels and entangled with the Red Brigades when attempting to help a friend and Sharon Stone as a nosy and snooping photo-reporter nosy who becomes involved in all kinds of problems . Some love scenes starred by Andre MacCarthy , Sharon Stone and Valeria Golino are really torrid. They're accompanied by a mostly Italian cast , giving acceptable interpretations such as : John Pankow , George Murcell , Francesca Prandi , Lou Castel , among others.

It has an anticlimatic and unappropriate soundtrack composed by synthesizer Bill Conti who previously musicalized the classic Rocky . Atmospheric and sombre cinematography by Blasco Giurato. The motion picture was middlingly directed by John Frankenheimer . At the beginning he worked for TV and turned to the cinema industry with The Young Stranger (1957) . Disappointed his with first feature film experience he came back to his successful television career directing a total of 152 live television shows in the 50s . He took another opportunity to change to the big screen , collaborating with Burt Lancaster in The Young Savages (1961) and Birdman of Alcatraz (62) ending up becoming a successful director well-known by his skills with actors and expressing on movies his views on important social deeds and philosophical events and film-making some classics as ¨The Manchurian candidate¨, ¨Seven days of May¨ and ¨The Train¨ and , in addition , ¨Grand Prix¨ also with great car races . Rating : 5.5/10 . Well worth seeing for John Frankheimer completists . Only for thriller, suspense buffs and Sharon Stone fans .

A good title, but more applicable to 1981, since that was the year that saw attempts to assassinate the President of the United States and the Pope.

This film sounds of interest on paper for the prospect of seeing John Frankenheimer address the abduction and murder of Aldo Moro. It doesn't stint on the gunplay (one particularly nasty moment depicts a horse getting caught in the crossfire). But there's even more talk - some of it in Italian - while the old dynamism that brought us 'The Manchurian Candidate' is sorely lacking, and Andrew McCarthy makes a very passive hero.

In compensation Sharon Stone brings a feral power to the role of an American photojournalist who never lets a little aggro get in the way of a photo opportunity. While it concludes with one of Frankenheimer's trademark closeups of a TV screen.

All I can say is, Sharon is very well cast here as a reporter. She looks beautiful in a very wild, intelligent way. I can honestly believe she is a reporter who gets off on the danger and is willing to risk her life for materials. The male character is kinda weak though, I don't think he has enough chemistry with Sharon. Vanessa Golino is very beautiful though, saw her in rain man before but she looks gorgeous here as well. The ending is kinda shocking as well. The whole theme of this movie gives off a 70s spy thriller feel. Sharon looked gorgeous holding her camera in the beginning. The motorcycle chase scenes were decent, but the whole plot is a bit messy for me to give the movie a passing grade.

John Frankenheimer's "Year of the Gun" has an interesting plot, especially considering the setting (Italy's so-called Years of Lead: an undeclared civil war between protesters and the government throughout the 1970s). Unfortunately, the focus is primarily on the US journalists covering the events. It would've made more sense to get into the politics. Even ignoring the Red Brigades, the Vietnam War had riled up the younger generation (especially since so many fascist-adjacent people were in positions of authority). The government used a lot of questionable methods to arrest the terrorists; seems like the whole thing could be an analogy for events of the past twenty years (or twenty-one, if you want to include the G8 summit in Genoa).

In terms of form, the movie has some respectable merits in its characters, cinematography, etc. I particularly liked Sharon Stone's character. It's just that they could've expanded the story.