Mafioso: The Criterion Collection (DVD)

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A more universal theme is the conflict between urban and rural cultures which run on entirely different time scales. In Milan, Nino´s factory runs on a rigid schedule; punch in, punch out. And he has to rush the family to catch the boat on time. Once in Sicily, though, clocks and watches disappear in favor of a day that ambles along in no particular hurry to get anywhere, content to just stop and rest in the sun for a spell. Progress is the goal in Milan, pure anathema in Sicily where traditional values (such as they are) preserve a sense of time and space that never changes.

While some of the regional humor is lost in translation, Sordi´s performance crosses all cultures. "Mafioso" isn´t riotously funny, but has its fair share of laughs. It also functions as a much-needed palliative to the romanticized image of Sicilian mob culture portrayed in "The Godfather." Here, Lattuada and his screenwriters out "omertà" as pure bullshit, not so much a code of honor as an excuse for boys to play with their toys.

Video

The film is presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. This transfer is very strong even by Criterion standards. I can´t find a single thing to complain about. What can I say? Criterion just doesn´t leave me anything to write about these days. Darn near perfect.

Audio

The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital Mono. Optional English subtitles support the Italian audio.

Extras

The single-disc release includes several short interviews.

The best of the group is "Ritratti d´autore" (17 min), a 1996 interview with director Alberto Lattuada by filmmaker Daniele Luchetti. Luchetti brings a sharp and engaged perspective to this featurette, turning a potentially dry interview featurette into a substantive discussion between two filmmakers.

The disc also includes a short interview with Lattuada´s wife, actress Carla Del Poggio (8 min) and an interview with the director´s son, Alessandro Lattuado (7 min). The Del Poggio interview was recorded on the occasion of the film´s screening at the 2006 New York Film Festival.

A gallery of promotional caricatures by artist Keiko Kimura is also included.

Finally, the disc has both an original trailer and a trailer for the film´s 2007 U.S. re-release.

The 24-page insert booklet features an essay by Phillip Lopate, a translated essay by Italian critic Roberto Chiesi and an excerpted interview with Lattuada taken from Claudio Camerini´s 1982 biography "Alberto Lattuada."

Film Value

A winning performance by Alberto Sordi makes "Mafioso" an enjoyable comedy even for a viewer who, like me, is a bit uncomfortable with some of the over-the-top Sicilian stereotyping. Lattuada, who retired in 1989, passed away in 2005. Criterion has more than done justice to his memory with this fine release.

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