''Una vita violenta'' (internationally released as ''Violent Life'') is a

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba ( Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 ...

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 ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

Paolo Heusch Paolo Heusch (26 February 1924 – 16 October 1982) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. Life and career Born in Rome, Heush started his career immediately after the World War II as a script supervisor. Between 1949 and 1957 he w ...

and

Brunello Rondi Brunello Rondi (26 November 1924 – 7 November 1989) was a prolific Italian screen writer and film director best known for his frequent script collaborations with Federico Fellini. His brother, Gian Luigi Rondi, was an Italian film critic. Bi ...

, at his directorial debut. It is based on a novel with the same name by

Pier Paolo Pasolini Pier Paolo Pasolini (; 5 March 1922 – 2 November 1975) was an Italian poet, filmmaker, writer and intellectual who also distinguished himself as a journalist, novelist, translator, playwright, visual artist and actor. He is considered one of ...

. The film was shown as part of a retrospective "Questi fantasmi: Cinema italiano ritrovato" at the

65th Venice International Film Festival The 65th annual Venice International Film Festival, held in Venice, Italy, was opened on 27 August 2008 by ''Burn After Reading'',

Plot

The film tells the story of a group of young adults who live in a township of the poorest and most disreputable neighborhoods of

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. The story is set in the economically depressed climate of the

Second World War 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 ...

's end. In this neighborhood, some people are living in makeshift shacks on the outskirts of the city. The postwar prosperity has not yet materialized. Tomasso is a youth who lives at the expense of others, like all his other companions, stealing cars, and wasting time and occasionally terrorizing complete strangers. Tomasso, in fact, is seen as a leader of this “gang”, stealing anything of value, such as pieces of iron, flour, whatever is not to difficult to steal and turn a profit on. Thus, with a few thousand lira, Tomasso and friends can have fun going to prostitutes or watching movies at the cinema.
Tomasso lives this dissolute lifestyle, returning home only for dinner and going out each night, looking for opportunities to enrich himself and his friends at the expense of others. Some of his companions are enamored with Mussolini and are hostile to those who support the Italian Communist Party. Yet, they visit the local communist party headquarters where dances are held and young people congregate. At one of the dances he meets a girl, Irene, with whom he becomes enamored. She agrees to go on a date to the cinema with him, but he is only interested in gaining sexual experience and she is quite uncomfortable with his clumsy approach. Inexplicably, something about him keeps attracting her. One night, Tomasso, after trying to reconcile with his estranged girlfriend, kills a man. He is arrested, and sentenced to 2 years in prison.
Tomasso comes out of prison a somewhat changed man, and the old neighborhood has also changed. Many new apartments have been built and his mother has been able to receive one.
Tomasso is a heavy smoker and he develops tuberculosis. He is sent to a sanitarium to recover. While there, he continues to reflect on his life, shows concern for others, and starts to think about his future and regret his past.
Returning home, Tomasso gets engaged to the beautiful Irene and also decides to join the

Communist Party A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of ''The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. A ...

to please her father. However, he resumes smoking cigarettes and risks his life, while taking altruistic action on behalf of a complete stranger in a driving rainstorm. Although his inner spiritual health is much improved his physical health deteriorates again and he meets his demise before realizing his dreams.

Cast

Franco Citti Franco Citti (; 23 April 1935 – 14 January 2016) was an Italian actor, best known as one of the close collaborators of director Pier Paolo Pasolini. He came to fame for playing the title role in Pasolini's film ''Accattone'', which brought hi ...

: Tommaso *

Serena Vergano Serena Vergano born Adalgisa Serena Maggiora Vergano (25 August 1943 in Milan, Italy), is an Italian actress. She was the muse of the Barcelona School of Film, acting in many of the films of this movement. Career Daughter of the director Aldo ...

: Irene *

Enrico Maria Salerno Enrico Maria Salerno (September 18, 1926 – February 28, 1994) was an Italian actor, voice actor and film director. He was also the voice of Clint Eastwood in the Italian version of Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy films, and the voice of Ch ...

: Bernardini, the trade-union representative * Angelo Maria Santiamantini: Lello

References

External links

* 1962 films 1962 drama films Italian drama films Films based on Italian novels Films set in Rome Films directed by Paolo Heusch Films directed by Brunello Rondi 1962 directorial debut films 1960s Italian-language films 1960s Italian films {{1960s-Italy-film-stub