Under the Olive Trees (1950)
Directed by Giuseppe De Santis
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson
Italian filmmaker Giuseppe De Santis followed his internationally acclaimed Bitter Rice with another exercise in neorealism, Non C'e Pace Tra Girl Ulivi (No Peace Under the Oliver Tree). Raf Vallone stars as shepherd Francesco, whose sister is raped by the villain of the piece. Thrown into jail on a trumped-up charge, Francesco escapes, vowing a horrible revenge against the man who framed him and violated his sister. Somewhat self-consciously directed, Non c'e Pace etc. isn't quite in the same league as Bitter Rice, though the performances are convincing and the cinematography (by Piero Portalupi) is first-rate. Welcome comedy relief is provided by Dante Maggio as Vallone's best friend.
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Keywords
criminal, escape, false-accusation, frame-up, imprisonment, prison-escape, rape, revenge, shepherd, sister
