Word: bombolinis
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SANTA VITTORIA is a village in Italy. After Mussolini is killed. the village repudiates its local Fascists and takes Bombolini as mayor. Bombolini was the clown of the village, but given the responsibility of mayor, he tries to cope with the crises that arise...
Anthony Quinn plays the part of Bombolini. His performance is masterful, but Bombolini lacks the depth of Zorba. As a result, one sees only the exuberant, happy-go-lucky, lighter side of Oumn's talents. Still, he does marvelous things with his face. Since the Germans expect him to lie, Bombolini must seem to lie about some things, without giving away the secret of the wine. In these scenes between the German commander and Bombolini, Quinn grins and grimaces, feigns shock and disbelief, moans, sighs and laughs. Anything to save the wine...
...Bombolini has a nagging wife played by Anna Magnani. She shouts at him. clobbers him with pans and insults him when he needs comfort. Under all the revilement lies a reviving love for her husband, but she struggles with it. She has suffered too much pain and misery while Bombolini was the town clown to forgive him easily...
...people. There are endless problems to be overcome in successfully hiding the wine, and each is solved by a different person. The village works together with a respect for the individual talents its people. In Kramer's film, this disappears. The few difficulties portrayed are solved either by Bombolini or the returned Fascist, two men in positions of authority. By ignoring the contributions that the villagers make, Kramer destroys the idea that the people are the creative element...
Consider that rogue Italo Bombolini, the shrewd, Machiavellian mayor who outwits half the German high command and successfully spirits 1,320,000 bottles of vintage vermouths and robust red wines from the Nazis in Robert Crichton's best-selling 1966 novel, The Secret of Santa Vittoria. Indeed a difficult part for an actor, calling for a subtle combination of gentle foolishness and hardheaded Italian moxie. So naturally Producer Stanley Kramer picked an Irishman, born in Mexico, who hails from Hollywood: Anthony Quinn, 52, who has been studiously preparing for his role as the rascally wine merchant by tippling Cinzano...