| The Escort | |
|---|---|
 A poster bearing the film's Italian title: La scorta | |
| Directed by | Ricky Tognazzi |
| Written by | Graziano Diana Simona Izzo |
| Produced by | Claudio Bonivento |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Alessio Gelsini Torresi |
| Edited by | Carla Simoncelli |
| Music by | Ennio Morricone |
Release date |
|
Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | Italy |
| Language | Italian |
The Escort (Italian : La scorta) is a 1993 Italian crime film directed by Ricky Tognazzi. It was an entry at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival. [1]
Sicily, 1990s. Following the killing of the deputy prosecutor Rizzo and the carabinieri marshal Virzì, the magistrate Michele De Francesco arrives in Trapani. His escort consists of Angelo, native of the place, a friend of the slain marshal and determined to do justice; of Andrea, head of the Trapani escort; of Fabio, a Roman who does not accept the risky assignment, and the two drivers, Raffaele and Nicola. Soon the magistrate, investigating the water supply of the city and the construction of a large dam, discovers dangerous collusions between the mafia, politics and law enforcement, in the persons of the M.P. Nestore Bonura, the deputy prefect Scavone and the boss Mazzaria. The decision to close the wells that supply the city causes a scandal to which De Francesco decides to take shelter, giving the men of the escort powers and prerogatives that effectively deprive the staff of the Prosecutor's Office, of which the ambiguous Polizzi seems the probable mole. After initial disagreements between Angelo and Andrea, an increasingly intense friendship arises between the men in the escort, in the midst of a daily odyssey made up of exhausting telephone checks, risky car journeys, threats. The judge's daughter, who arrived in Trapani to celebrate her birthday with her father, miraculously escapes a bomb attack on the car in which she had to travel. Thus dies the driver Raffaele. The pursuit of the investigation also leads to the killing, by the Cosa Nostra, of Bonura, now gripped by overwhelming evidence, despite the silence of a colleague and friend of De Francesco, judge Barresi of Caltanissetta. Worthless is the anger of the escort men who, now in tune with the magistrate, decide, despite everything, to stay by his side, including Fabio who would even give up the long waited transfer. However, an order of the judiciary transfers the judge accusing him of having used the escort beyond his specific duties, of having disturbed public order and offended the prestige of the Prosecutor's staff. Forced by the events De Francesco embarks for the mainland greeted by the men of his escort who have never betrayed him.
It spent two weeks at the top of the Italian box office grossing $1.3 million in its first week and $1.9 million after 10 days from 84 screens. [2] [3] [4]
Michele Placido is an Italian actor, director and screenwriter. He began his career on stage, and first gained mainstream attention through a series of roles in films directed by the likes of Mario Monicelli and Marco Bellocchio, winning the Berlinale's Silver Bear for Best Actor for his performance in the 1979 film Ernesto. He is known internationally for portraying police inspector Corrado Cattani on the crime drama television series La piovra (1984–2001). Placido's directorial debut, Pummarò, was screened Un Certain Regard at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival. Three of his films have competed for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. He is a five-time Nastro d'Argento and four-time David di Donatello winner. In 2021, Placido was appointed President of the Teatro Comunale in Ferrara.
Italy competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States. 340 competitors, 236 men and 104 women, took part in 172 events in 27 sports.
Rocco Chinnici was an Italian anti-Mafia magistrate killed by the Sicilian Mafia.
The Sicilian Mafia Commission, known as Commissione or Cupola, is a body of leading Sicilian Mafia members who decide on important questions concerning the actions of, and settling disputes within the Sicilian Mafia or Cosa Nostra. It is composed of representatives of a mandamento who are called capo mandamento or rappresentante. The Commission is not a central government of the Mafia, but a representative mechanism for consultation of independent Mafia families who decide by consensus. Its primary role is to keep the use of violence among families within limits tolerable to the public and political authorities.
The Nastro d'Argento is a film award assigned each year, since 1946, by Sindacato Nazionale dei Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani, the association of Italian film critics.
Three Brothers is a 1981 Italian film based on a work by Russian author Andrei Platonov. It was directed by Francesco Rosi and stars Philippe Noiret, Vittorio Mezzogiorno, Michele Placido and Charles Vanel.
The David di Donatello for Best Sound is a film award presented annually by the Accademia del Cinema Italiano to recognize outstanding efforts on the part of sound technicians who have worked within the Italian film industry during the year preceding the ceremony. Born in the 1988 edition of the David di Donatello award show as David di Donatello for Best Sound Engineer, from the 2017 edition onward, it has been called David di Donatello for Best Sound in order to recognize all sound technicians.
The David di Donatello for Best Score, known as the David di Donatello per il miglior musicista prior to 2021, is a film award presented annually by the Accademia del Cinema Italiano to recognize outstanding efforts on the part of film music composers who have worked within the Italian film industry during the year preceding the ceremony. The award has been given every year since 1975, with the exception of the 1979 and 1980 editions.
Tony Sperandeo is an Italian actor of cinema and television. Sperandeo is notable for frequently playing the roles of tough characters from his native region, Sicily. As of 2011, he was working on La Nuova Squadra, a police drama televised by Rai Tre, as the Superintendent Salvatore Sciacca.
Amici di Maria De Filippi known simply as Amici and known until 2003 as Saranno famosi is an Italian talent show. Created by Maria De Filippi, the show began in 2001 and has since aired annually. The show is produced by Fascino P.G.T. s.r.l. and is broadcast on Canale 5. Since the thirteenth edition, daytime and casting have been broadcast on the television network Real Time and on the online streaming platform Witty TV by Fascino.
The Nastro d'Argento is a film award assigned each year, since 1948, by Sindacato Nazionale dei Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani, the association of Italian film critics.
The Circonvallazione massacre, in Italian Strage della Circonvallazione, was a Cosa Nostra attack that took place on June 16, 1982 on the Palermo ring road. The attack was directed against Catanese boss Alfio Ferlito, who was transferred from Enna to the Trapani jail, and died with the three escort carabinieri and the 22-year-old Giuseppe Di Lavore, the driver of the private company that had the transportation of prisoners, who had replaced his father. The mandators of this massacre were Salvatore Riina and Bernardo Provenzano, in favor to Nitto Santapaola, who was in a year-long war with Ferlito for the predominance on the city of Catania territory.
 | This article related to an Italian film of the 1990s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This 1990s crime film–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |