Disc Details
Special Features:	Chapter selections. Original theatrical trailer. Biographical information. Historical background. Separate musical soundtrack. Insert of the original pressbook from the film's original release.
Video Format:	Widescreen (1.85:1)
Languages:	English (Dolby Digital 5.1) Mono
Captions:	English subtitles during a few scenes spoken in Italian.
Casing:	1-Disc Keep Case

      Sacco and Vanzetti were arrested, tried, convicted and executed for a double homicide during a payroll robbery in South Braintree, Massachusetts. The film's prelude sets the political stage in which this travesty of justice occurred. The Great War had just ended. Russia was red. America was flooded with immigrants seeking a better life. The average blue collar worker worked under conditions not unlike slavery. The anarchist movement along with organized labor fought hard (and often violently) to right the wrongs in American labor. US Attorney Mitchell Palmer instituted what became known as "Palmer's Raids" to round up and deport as many of the "Red agitators" as possible.

      Sacco and Vanzetti were arrested during this time. Both men were armed when they were taken by the police. Events and evil minds conspired to make an example of the two. Enough of the history lesson. What occurred over the next 6 years to these two men is enough to make any proud American hang their head in shame.

      Directed and co-written by Giuliano Montaldo, "Sacco and Vanzetti" powerfully chronicles the sad events. Nominated for the Golden Palm and winner of the Best Actor awards at Cannes in 1971 the film works as history and entertainment due to its excellent cast. Riccardo Cucciolla, in his debut film, portrays Nicola Sacco as a proud and dignified man. Cucciolla's best actor award was well deserved. His Sacco is a complex character who doesn't say much at first. As he finds himself being rushed to his doom, Sacco is driven mad by his predicament. He regains his sanity and dignity. Unlike his codefendant, Sacco doesn't want to become a martyr. He does however, believe in his cause. The irony of his situation is that he believes in the American dream more than the powerful racists who persecute him! Cucciolla delivers a powerful indictment of his accusers at trial.

      More recognizable is Gian Maria Volante as Bartolomeo Vanzetti. Volante is best know as the bad guy in "A Fistful of Dollars" and "For a Few Dollars More." Vanzetti is a robust man who also wants to take part in the American dream. He makes no excuses about his anarchist views. He thanks the court for giving his life meaning. He is also a nonviolent person. That may seem a strange statement to make about a man who was arrested with a gun. The film explains this paradox.

      The pair are prosecuted by prosecutor Frederick Katzmann (Cyril Cusak). Katzmann is the worst kind of bigot. He is a bigot with power. You can't help watching this movie and wondering what part of hell Katzmann now resides in. On the day of the robbery/murder, Sacco was at the Italian consulate in Boston applying for a passport to visit his dying mother. The attache from the consulate testifies in court for the defense. He is an Italian. Many other Italians testify for the defense. Katzmann casts aspersions on all of their characters, including the attache from the Italian government. "They don't understand our traditions, our morals! They can't even speak American!" he snidely remarks. The whitebread male jury eats up this vile poison.

      Sacco and Vanzetti were defended by attorney Fred Moore (Milo O'Shea). The prosecution and defense agreed to keep politics out of the trial before it began. Moore was then ambushed by Katzmann as the trial became nothing more than a political trial. Moore came from behind and put on a defense which should have evaporated any reasonable doubt. He was a babe in the woods. By the time he realized just what was being done, the jury had already been tainted. O'Shea has always been a favorite of mine. Probably best know as Duran Duran in "Barbarella," O'Shea has an incredible face for film. His attorney Moore is a decent guy who believes in the system. He ends up a broken and disillusioned shell of his former self.

      William Prince (Network) portrays attorney William Thompson. Thompson is another idealist. He comes to Moore's assistance and after Moore's departure, led the juggernaut to have the convictions overturned. It was Thompson who saw the political undertones of the trial and tried to persuade Moore to wake up. He too became a broken and disillusioned man. Like the rest of the cast, Mr. Prince delivers a powerful and dignified performance. He has the strength of his convictions at a time when good men are failing right and left.

      The dark lord of evil is personified by Judge Webster Thayer (Geoffrey Keen). Keen took over the role of 'M' in the James Bond films after the death of Bernard Lee. I wanted to drive a stake through his heart during this film. Judge Webster was no better than those judges in Hitler's Germany who sanctioned the Reich's satanic edicts. Were I ever exposed to a judge like that in real life, my response would probably be the same as attorney Thompson's. Keen delivers the best performance in the film. I'm sure he and Katzmann are keeping warm these days. (I know, "Judge not lest ey be judged!")

      The score by Ennio Morricone is excellent as always. I was annoyed by Joan Baez's songs though. Her singing is as shrill and horrendous as the justice meted out by Judge Keen. The photography is quite good with the exception of the director's decision to use a sepia tone during some of the scenes. As with most Italian films, the sound is not synchronously recorded. At times the dubbing is poor. The film does a great job of evoking the period. There has been some criticism that the film looks like a spaghetti western. I disagree. I like to think that the critic who wrote that was possessed by the spirit of Judge Keen escaped from perdition.

      The lengthy trial sequence is horrendous. Were this not a true film, one would wonder who wrote this scene. Using the trail transcripts, writer director Montaldo presents the circus atmosphere which included baiting the jury, provoking violence in the courtroom and other unbelievable shenanigans. Milo O'Shea is a wonder to watch as he fights the tide of racist evil.

      As an attorney and a long time crime buff, I may like this film more than the average viewer. I don't hesitate to recommend this film at all. It is a story that every American should be aware of. Like the movie poster says, "It happened before, it could happen again."

Picture Quality: 8/10
There are several noticable jumps in quality in the picture. It is almost like when the projectionist changes reels in a theater. Sometimes the film quality varies from reel to reel. Overall the quality is quite good. As I said before, I didn't like the director's choice of using sepia tone in several scenes. Nor the use of soft focus photography during the key robbery scene.

Sound Quality: 10/10
Good job. I listened to the separate musical sound track (except of Joan Baez!) and enjoyed it.

Menu: 8/10
Nice use of images and sounds from the film. Easy to navigate. Photo images from each chapter. Nice menu, nothing special though.

Extra Features: 8/10
Good bios. The historical information was hard to read because of the letter were yellow on a colored background. I really enjoyed the pressbook reproduction. It was designed like an old newspaper. It is full of historical information as well as info about the movie. It was pretty cool.

The Final Word:
If you are a history of crime buff you will probably enjoy this more than others. If you love your country and are interested in making it a better place you should be aware of this part of our history. Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.

Rusty White