Un uomo da bruciare

The beginning of the film undermines the viewer's expectations by presenting the predictable behavior of both sides of the conflict - the mafia and the main protagonist, Salvatore, along with the locals who are terrorized. Fortunately, this initial idyllic image falls apart due to the cautiousness of the locals, who are determined to fight against the uncompromising activism and the "worldly" mainland Italy that Salvatore represents. His power struggle with the mafia becomes more complex and isolating, and as a character, Salvatore, portrayed brilliantly by Volonté, is surprisingly ambiguous. Given the development of the situation, his motivation to altruistically help the oppressed, based on his firm convictions, gradually blends with self-sacrificing martyrdom, bordering on self-adoration. However, the feature debut of the three directors did not achieve (and deservedly so, even though it's still a very good film) the same recognition as the famous films/debuts of the early 1960s that changed the face of Italian cinema, such as Accattone (1961) by Pasolini, Time Stood Still (1959) + The Job (1961) by E. Olmi, and Bandits of Orgosolo (1960) by Vittorio De Seta. (25/04/2014)