Riccardo Cucciolla (Un Flic, Borsalino & Co.) and Gian Maria Volontè (A Fistful of Dollars, Lucky Luciano) are Sacco & Vanzetti, subjects of one of the most infamous trials of the twentieth century. Boston, 1920. Italian immigrants Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, known for their anarchist beliefs, stand accused of robbery and murder. Their political leanings are used as evidence against them, but defense attorney Fred Moore (Milo O’Shea, The Verdict) is convinced of their innocence. As anti-immigrant and anti-radical sentiments run high, one of the most polarizing trials in U.S. history unfolds in this riveting docudrama from director Giuliano Montaldo (Grand Slam). The musical score was composed and conducted by the great Ennio Morricone (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) featuring folk music legend Joan Baez. The top-notch cast also includes Cyril Cusack (Fahrenheit 451), Geoffrey Keen (The Spy Who Loved Me), William Prince (Cyrano de Bergerac) and Claude Mann (Army of Shadows).
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Video Quality
Sacco & Vanzetti comes to Blu-Ray with a new digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original OAR. While not noted as being from a new restoration, this transfer looks really excellent throughout most of the runtime in a way that will impress fans who have been anxiously awaiting this one. There are occasional minor specks of print damage, but overall clarity and detail is very impressive. The picture can have the slightest bit of softness in long shots, likely to be attributed to the source material, but this does not prove to be a major issue. There are numerous interior shots of the courtroom and various other locations that are packed with little details in the production design that are easily noticeable thanks to this transfer. Skin tones are natural and consistent with subtle facial details easily noticeable in closeup. Colors are well saturated and do not present with any unnatural hues. Black levels hold up well with next to nothing in the way of crush. Digital noise also does not present as an issue here. This new presentation is quite fetching from the great people at Kino Classics.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with an excellent DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track in both Italian and English with optional English subtitles. There does not seem to be any noticeable instances of age-related wear and tear anywhere throughout this one. The score and lovely original songs sound great throughout the duration of the film as it establishes a notable atmosphere for the story. There is never a moment where it threatens to trample the dialogue, as the track maintains a good balance so that information comes through clearly. Environmental sounds such as car noises or gunshots are rendered well alongside everything else. Kino Classics has delivered an excellent audio presentation for this film.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Filmmaker Alex Cox provides an entertaining and informative commentary track in which he discusses the history behind the story, the parallels to the modern day, the careers of the creative figures involved, the legacy of the film and more. Cox is a wealth of knowledge, and it is always fun to hear him wax poetic about film.
- Trailers: There is a two-minute trailer provided for Sacco & Vanzetti. There are also trailers provided for Illustrious Corpses, A Fistful Of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More and Grand Slam.
Final Thoughts
Sacco & Vanzetti is a thoroughly gripping account of a real-life incident that director Giuliano Montaldo brought to life with great care. The film features terrific performances from Riccardo Cucciolla and Gian Maria Volontè in the titular roles, along with a host of memorable turns elsewhere in the ensemble. There is very little in the way of action in this feature, but the presentation of the story is enough to keep you hooked in this well-paced drama. Kino Classics has given this feature a new Blu-Ray featuring a stupendous A/V presentation and a great commentary track. Fans of politically-motivated dramas should find a great deal to love with this one. Recommended
Sacco & Vanzetti is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.