Rossellini gets the bad guys

Cannes Classics honours the director of Roma, Città Aperta (1946, Jury Grand Prix), and president of the Feature Film Jury in 1977, with a screening of La Macchina Ammazzacattivi (1952).

Film trivia: La Macchina Ammazzacattivi (literally “The Machine to Kill Bad People” in Italian) was in fact completed by Roberto Rosselini’s assistants, not by the director himself.

The film tells the story of Celestino Esposito, a young photographer in a small town in the South of Italy, whose life is turned upside down during the town’s celebrations to honour its protector, Saint Andrew. After he photographs Agostini, a former fascist turned detective, Celestino watches him keel over. The young man realises his camera has the power to kill bad guys.

La Macchina Ammazzacattivi was the first comedy by the undisputed master of neo-realism to  have been inspired by Commedia dell’arte. The film-maker secured two of the biggest stars of the Italian stage at the time, Giacomo Furia and Carlo Giuffré, to play the leading roles. The restored film is presented by Gian Luca Farinelli.

B.P.

The film is to be screened at 8.30 p.m. in the Salle du Soixantième.