''Guai ai vinti'' (''Woe to the Vanquished Ones'') is a 1954

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

melodrama film A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...

directed by

Raffaello Matarazzo Raffaello Matarazzo (17 August 1909 – 17 May 1966) was an Italian filmmaker. Life Matarazzo started writing film reviews for the Roman newspaper ''Il Tevere'' before re-editing scripts for the Italian film company Cines. His first films w ...

. It is based on the novel ''Vae Victis'' by Annie Vivanti.

Plot

During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

the Italian front at

Caporetto Kobarid (; it, Caporetto, fur, Cjaurêt, german: Karfreit) is a settlement in Slovenia, the administrative centre of the Municipality of Kobarid. Kobarid is known for the 1917 Battle of Caporetto, where the Italian retreat was documented by Er ...

is overwhelmed by an attack of adverse troops. Luisa and her sister Clara remain in their villa, prisoners of the Austrians. They are forced to undergo all sorts of violence, so that Mirella, the little daughter of Luisa, lost the use of the word following the trauma.

Cast

Lea Padovani Lea Padovani (28 July 1920 – 23 June 1991) was an Italian film actress. She appeared in 60 films between 1945 and 1990. She starred in the film '' Black Dossier'' which was entered into the 1955 Cannes Film Festival. Partial filmography ...

: Luisa *

Anna Maria Ferrero Anna Maria Ferrero (18 February 1935 – 21 May 2018) was an Italian actress. Early life and career Born Anna Maria Guerra, she changed her last name to Ferrero in honor of the composer Willy Ferrero. Her film debut came at the age of 15 in '' ...

: Clara *

Pierre Cressoy Pierre Cressoy (born Pierre Jules Lazare Cresson; March 25, 1924 – October 31, 1980) was a French film actor.Davis p.196 Filmography References Bibliography * Davis, Ronald L. ''Hollywood Beauty: Linda Darnell and the American Dream''. Un ...

: Franco *

Clelia Matania Clelia Matania (28 March 1918 – 14 October 1981) was an Italian film and voice actress. Life and career Born in London, the daughter of the Capri-born naturalized Briton painter Fortunino Matania (best known as Saturnino), Matania attended th ...

: Teresa *

Camillo Pilotto Camillo Pilotto (6 February 1888 Birth name: Camillo Raul Vittorio Pilotto. – 27 May 1963) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 101 films between 1916 and 1963. He was born and died in Rome, Italy. Selected filmography * ''The Song ...

: Bonechi *

Gualtiero Tumiati Gualtiero Tumiati ( 8 May 1876 – 23 April 1971) was an Italian actor and stage director. Life and career Born in Ferrara, Tumiati studied at the College of the Oaks in Florence and there he attended the acting courses held by Luigi Rasi. He ...

: Don Marzi * Rolf Tasna: Claudio *

Paola Quattrini Paola Quattrini (born 9 March 1944) is an Italian actress. Career She debuted as child actor in ''Il bacio di una morta'' (1949). From then she started a very long career between stage, film and television, starring in hundreds of productions. I ...

: Mirella * Giulio Ottavi: Giovanni *

Emilio Cigoli Emilio Cardi Cigoli (18 November 1909 – 7 November 1980) was an Italian actor and voice actor. Biography Cigoli was born in Livorno to actress Giovanna Cigoli. His grandfather worked as a silent film actor. He began his career on stage a ...

: Pietro * Mario Del Monaco: Mario Abbate *

Marcella Rovena Marcella Rovena (22 January 1905 – 6 October 1991) was an Italian film and voice actress. Born in Conegliano Conegliano (; Venetian: ''Conejan'') is a town and ''comune'' of the Veneto region, Italy, in the province of Treviso, about no ...

: Countess Amelia *

Isa Querio Isa or ISA may refer to: Places * Isa, Amur Oblast, Russia * Isa, Kagoshima, Japan * Isa, Nigeria * Isa District, Kagoshima, former district in Japan * Isa Town, middle class town located in Bahrain * Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia * Mount Is ...

: Miss Bonechi *

Bianca Doria Bianca Doria (22 September 1915 – 2 February 1985) was an Italian actress. She appeared in more than forty films during her career. She appeared in the 1963 peplum ''Hercules Against the Mongols''.Hughes, Howard. ''Cinema Italiano: The Com ...

: Contadina nel granaio *

Teresa Franchini Teresa Franchini (19 September 1877 – 11 August 1972) was an Italian stage and film actress. She was a leading lady of the theatre in her youth, appearing in the first Italian staging of Oscar Wilde's '' Lady Windermere's Fan'' in 1905. Beginni ...

: Contadina nel granaio *

Anita Durante Anita Durante (28 September 1897 – 2 May 1994) was an Italian actress. Born Anita Bianchi in Rome into a humble family, after attending a dramatic society for several years Durante made her official debut on stage in 1919, in Ettore Petro ...

: Popolana * Irene Cefaro: Friend of Clara *

Enrico Glori Enrico is both an Italian masculine given name and a surname, Enrico means homeowner, or king, derived from ''Heinrich'' of Germanic origin. It is also a given name in Ladino. Equivalents in other languages are Henry (English), Henri ( French), ...

: Viaggiatore

References

External links

* 1954 films 1954 drama films Italian drama films Films directed by Raffaello Matarazzo World War I films set on the Italian Front Films scored by Renzo Rossellini Italian black-and-white films Melodrama films 1950s Italian films {{1950s-drama-film-stub