La terra trema

Visconti’s social conscience, impacted by war, prompted this strikingly beautiful portrayal of the unjust humiliation of workers in southern Italy.

  • Director

    Luchino Visconti

  • With

    Antonio Arcidiacono, Giuseppe Arcidiacono, Nelluccia Giammona, Maria Micale

  • Italy 1948. 160min

  • Digital

  • Certificate

    U

  • English subtitles

Set in the Sicilian village of Aci Trezza, La terra trema details the struggles of a fishing family, battling against the harshness of nature and economic oppression. Guided by the fervent young N’toni, and against all odds, they attempt to overcome exploitation. Loosely based on Giovanni Verga’s 1881 novel I Malavoglia, the film introduces real fishermen, speaking in their local dialect, while their ecstatic beauty and compositional rigour give each shot a lyrical aura.

Courtesy of Cinecittà.