''The Roses of the Desert'' ( it, Le rose del deserto) is an

Italian film The cinema of Italy (, ) comprises the films made within Italy or by Italian directors. Since its beginning, Italian cinema has influenced film movements worldwide. Italy is one of the birthplaces of art cinema and the stylistic aspect of film h ...

released in 2006. It was directed by

Mario Monicelli Mario Alberto Ettore Monicelli (; 16 May 1915 – 29 November 2010) was an Italian film director and screenwriter and one of the masters of the ''Commedia all'Italiana'' (Comedy Italian style). He was nominated six times for an Oscar, and was awa ...

, in his final film, and was loosely inspired by the romance '' Il deserto della Libia'' of

Mario Tobino Mario Tobino (16 January 1910, Viareggio, Province of Lucca, Tuscany – 11 December 1991, Agrigento) was an Italian poet, writer and psychiatrist. A prolific writer, he began as a poet but later wrote mostly novels. His works are characteriz ...

Plot

In World War II a group of Italian soldiers is sent to Egypt to provide assistance to the local population. The military, however, should expect other directives from the Duce

Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...

but completely lose contact with the Italy. Soon the members of the brigade, which includes some very curious and picturesque characters such as the Captain who loves poetry, get acquainted with the local customs and forget their duty as soldiers. Again however the war impose its presence, after an encounter with an outspoken missionary ( Michele Placido) who is walking through the desert with a troop of Germans. As hostilities begin again, the soldiers take up arms, but something has changed through their experience and they begin to consider war as useless, while they could live in blissful oblivion in a land so beautiful and rich in culture. These thoughts are cut short when the Captain, who alone had remained a reference figure for the troops, discovers that his recently deceased wife was not faithful. He commits suicide by jumping against the weapons of some Bedouin.

Cast

* Michele Placido - Brother Simeone *

Giorgio Pasotti Giorgio Pasotti (born 22 June 1973) is an Italian actor and former martial arts athlete. Life and career Born in Bergamo, Pasotti started performing martial arts at a very young age, practicing karate and kobudo and became European and World c ...

- Lieutenant Marcello Salvi *

Alessandro Haber Alessandro Haber (born 19 January 1947) is an italian people, Italian actor, film director and singer. Haber was born in Bologna in a Italian Jews, Jewish family of mixed ancestry (his father was a Romanian Jew and his mother Italian) and spent ...

- Major Stefano Strucchi * Moran Atias - Aisha * Danilo De Summa - soldier *

Tatti Sanguineti Tatti may refer to : People * Calliope Tatti (1894–1978) * Francesco de Tatti, a 16th-century Italian painter * Jessica Tatti (born 1981), German politician Places * Tatti, Massa Marittima, a hamlet in the Italian municipality of Massa Marittima ...

- a general *

Fulvio Falzarano Fulvio Falzarano is an Italian actor. Career Fulvio Falzarano has worked in various companies in major Italian theaters. He worked with directors such as Mario Monicelli, Armando Pugliese, Renato Sarti and Giorgio Pressburger. He participate ...

- Sergeant Barzottin * Claudio Bigagli - soldier * Stefano Scandaletti - soldier

References

External links

*
Presentation of the movie ''The Roses of the Desert''
2006 films 2000s Italian-language films Films directed by Mario Monicelli 2000s romance films Films with screenplays by Suso Cecchi d'Amico Italian romance films 2000s Italian films {{2000s-romance-film-stub