The Mattei Affair (1972)

The Mattei Affair (1972)

Director: Francesco Rosi
Writers: Tito Di Stefano, Tonino Guerra
Stars: Gian Maria Volonté, Luigi Squarzina, Gianfranco Ombuen    
Runtime: 116 minutes    

Plot: Controversy surrounds the life and death of Italian administrator Enrico Mattei.

Review: Francesco Rosi's documentary style film starts at the end of Mattei's life, taking in the scattered debris and eye witness accounts, before circling round to follow him on the last two days preceding his accident. Rosi flits between a number of time lines, going into the past, the present and the future looking back. The film suggests that he influenced far more than running the government owned Oil Company he oversaw and Mattei became renowned at the time, for helping boost Italy's post-war economy by sourcing better deals away from the American oil giants dominating the market and keeping the profits within the country.
Gian Maria Volonté does immerse himself with vigour and gives off the air of a deeply passionate man fighting his corner. The other players involved aren't given meaning in this biography of sorts, so he appears in almost every scene, making his presence well known. The film shared the award with Elio Petri's "The Working Class Goes to Heaven" making it an all Italian year at Cannes. It may well struggle to hold its own against some of the competitions more renowned winners but it also deserves more recognition than it has over the past 40 years.

Reviewed by Mohaiminul Islam