''The Mattei Affair'' ( it, Il Caso Mattei) is a 1972 film directed by

Francesco Rosi Francesco Rosi (; 15 November 1922 – 10 January 2015) was an Italian film director. His film ''The Mattei Affair'' won the Palme d'Or at the 1972 Cannes Film Festival. Rosi's films, especially those of the 1960s and 1970s, often appeared to ha ...

. It depicts the life and mysterious death of

Enrico Mattei Enrico Mattei (; 29 April 1906 – 27 October 1962) was an Italian public administrator. After World War II he was given the task of dismantling the Italian petroleum agency Agip, a state enterprise established by the Fascist regime. I ...

, an Italian businessman who in the aftermath of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

managed to avoid the sale of the nascent Italian oil and hydrocarbon industry to US companies and developed them in the Eni, a state-owned oil company which rivaled the ' seven sisters' for oil and gas deals in Northern African and

Middle Eastern The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (European ...

countries. The film shared the ''

Grand Prix Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to: Arts and entertainment ...

'' with ''

The Working Class Goes to Heaven ''The Working Class Goes to Heaven'' (Italian: ''La classe operaia va in paradiso''), released in the US as ''Lulu the Tool'', is a 1971 political drama film directed by Elio Petri. It depicts a factory worker's realisation of his own condition as ...

'' at the

1972 Cannes Film Festival The 25th annual Cannes Film Festival was held from 4 to 19 May 1972. The Palme d'Or went to the Italian films ''The Working Class Goes to Heaven'' by Elio Petri and ''The Mattei Affair'' by Francesco Rosi. The festival opened with the French film ...

. Italian star

Gian Maria Volonté Gian Maria Volonté (9 April 1933 – 6 December 1994) was an Italian actor, including roles in four Spaghetti Western films: Ramón Rojo in Sergio Leone's ''A Fistful of Dollars'' (1964) and El Indio in Leone's '' For a Few Dollars More'' ( ...

was the leading actor in both films. The film is an innovative

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

of documentary and fiction, representing Francesco Rosi's concept of cine-inchieste (film investigation). The flashback structure shows the influence of ''

Citizen Kane ''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American drama film produced by, directed by, and starring Orson Welles. He also co-wrote the screenplay with Herman J. Mankiewicz. The picture was Welles' first feature film. ''Citizen Kane'' is frequently cited ...

'' and Rosi's '' Salvatore Giuliano'' (1962). Rosi remains faithful to his neo-realist roots with on-location shooting and non-professional actors. The film is interspersed with footage of the director trying to find his friend, the investigative journalist

Mauro De Mauro Mauro De Mauro (; 6 September 1921 – disappeared 16 September 1970) was an Italian investigative journalist. Originally a supporter of Benito Mussolini's Fascist regime, De Mauro eventually became a journalist with the left-leaning newspaper ...

, who disappeared while doing research for the film. He was killed by the

Sicilian Mafia The Sicilian Mafia, also simply known as the Mafia and frequently referred to as Cosa nostra (, ; "our thing") by its members, is an Italian Mafia-terrorist-type organized crime syndicate and criminal society originating in the region of Sicily a ...

, but like the death of Mattei, De Mauro's case was never solved.Bayman, Louis (ed.) (2011). ''Directory of World Cinema: Italy'', Intellect Books
p. 241
/ref>

Cast

- Enrico Mattei *

Luigi Squarzina Luigi Squarzina (18 February 1922 – 8 October 2010) was an Italian theatre dramatist and director. Born in Livorno, Squarzina studied in Rome, at the Liceo Classico Tasso, where he had Vittorio Gassman as classmate. He got a degree cum laude i ...

- Journalist *

Furio Colombo Furio Colombo (born 1 January 1931) is an Italian journalist and politician, former editor-in-chief of ''L'Unità''. Biography Journalistic and academic career Colombo was born in Châtillon, Aosta Valley in a Jewish family. In the mid-1950 ...

- assistant * Gianfranco Ombuen - Ing. Ferrari *

Edda Ferronao Edda Ferronao is an Italian former stage, film and television actress.Bayman p. 241 Selected filmography * ''March's Child'' (1957) * ''Toto, Peppino and the Fanatics'' (1958) * ''The Conqueror of the Orient'' (1960) * ''Fountain of Trevi'' ...

- Mrs. Mattei * Accursio Di Leo - Sicilian important man #1 *

Giuseppe Lo Presti Giuseppe is the Italian form of the given name Joseph, from Latin Iōsēphus from Ancient Greek Ἰωσήφ (Iōsḗph), from Hebrew יוסף. It is the most common name in Italy and is unique (97%) to it. The feminine form of the name is Giusep ...

- Sicilian important man #2 *

Aldo Barberito Aldo may refer to: * Aldo (given name), male given name ** Aldo (footballer, born 1977) ** Aldo (footballer, born 1988) * Aldo Group, a worldwide chain of shoe stores * Aldosterone in shorthand * Aldo Bonzi Aldo Bonzi is a town in La Mata ...

- Journalist

Dario Michaelis Dario is a masculine given name, etymologically related to Darius. Given name *Dario Allevi (born 1965), Italian politician *Dario Argento (born 1940), Italian film director *Dario Badinelli (born 1946), Italian triple jumper *Dario Bellezza (19 ...

- Carabinieri official * Peter Baldwin - McHale (journalist) *

Franco Graziosi Franco Graziosi (10 July 1929 – 8 September 2021) was an Italian actor. Entering films in 1960, he made some 28 motion picture and television appearances between then and 2013. He appeared regularly in television mini-series throughout his car ...

- Minister * Elio Jotta - Head of commission * Luciano Colitti - Bertuzzi * Terenzio Cordova - Police official *

Camillo Milli Camillo Migliori, best known as Camillo Milli (1 August 1929 – 20 January 2022) was an Italian stage, film and television actor. Life and career Born in Milan, Milli formed under Giorgio Strehler at the Piccolo Teatro di Milano, where he deb ...

- Change teller *

Jean Rougeul Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * J ...

- American official *

- himself

References

External links

*
Cannes profile
1972 films 1970s business films Films about the Sicilian Mafia Films directed by Francesco Rosi Films set in 1962 Films set in the 1950s Italian drama films 1970s Italian-language films Palme d'Or winners Films with screenplays by Tonino Guerra Films scored by Piero Piccioni 1970s Italian films {{1970s-Italy-film-stub