The Roses of the Desert

Last updated
Le rose del deserto
The Roses of the Desert poster.jpg
Theatrical poster
Directed by Mario Monicelli
Written by Alessandro Bencivenni
Suso Cecchi d'Amico
Mario Monicelli
Domenico Saverni
Based on Il deserto della Libia
by Mario Tobino
Produced by Mauro Berardi
Starring Michele Placido
Giorgio Pasotti
Alessandro Haber
Cinematography Saverio Guarna
Edited by Bruno Sarandrea
Music by Paolo Dossena
Mino Freda
Release date
  • December 1, 2006 (2006-12-01)
Running time
102 minutes
CountryItaly
LanguageItalian

The Roses of the Desert (Italian : Le rose del deserto) is an Italian film released in 2006. It was directed by Mario Monicelli, in his final film, and was loosely inspired by the romance Il deserto della Libia of Mario Tobino.

Contents

Plot

In World War II a group of Italian soldiers is sent to Egypt to provide assistance to the local population. The military, however, should expect other directives from the Duce Benito Mussolini but completely lose contact with the Italy. Soon the members of the brigade, which includes some very curious and picturesque characters such as the Captain who loves poetry, get acquainted with the local customs and forget their duty as soldiers. Again however the war impose its presence, after an encounter with an outspoken missionary (Michele Placido) who is walking through the desert with a troop of Germans. As hostilities begin again, the soldiers take up arms, but something has changed through their experience and they begin to consider war as useless, while they could live in blissful oblivion in a land so beautiful and rich in culture. These thoughts are cut short when the Captain, who alone had remained a reference figure for the troops, discovers that his recently deceased wife was not faithful. He commits suicide by jumping against the weapons of some Bedouin.

Cast

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mario Monicelli</span> Italian film director and screenwriter (1915–2010)

Mario Alberto Ettore Monicelli was an Italian film director and screenwriter, one of the masters of the commedia all'italiana. He was nominated six times for an Oscar, and received the Golden Lion for his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michele Placido</span> Italian actor and film director

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.

<i>La piovra</i> Italian television drama series

La Piovra is an Italian television drama series about the Mafia. The series was directed by various directors who each worked on different seasons, including Damiano Damiani, Florestano Vancini, Luigi Perelli, and Giacomo Battiato . The music was written by Riz Ortolani, Ennio Morricone, and by Paolo Buonvino.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giuliano Gemma</span> Italian actor (1938–2013)

Giuliano Gemma was an Italian actor. He is best known internationally for his work in Spaghetti Westerns, particularly for his performances as the title character in Duccio Tessari's A Pistol for Ringo (1965), Captain Montgomery Brown/'Ringo' in Tessari's The Return of Ringo (1965), the title character in Michele Lupo's Arizona Colt (1966), Scott Mary in Tonino Valerii's Day of Anger (1967) and Michael "California" Random in Lupo's California (1977).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stefano Accorsi</span> Italian actor (born 1971)

Stefano Lelio Beniamino Accorsi is an Italian actor.

<i>The Divine Nymph</i> 1975 Italian film

The Divine Nymph is a 1975 Italian drama film directed by Giuseppe Patroni Griffi and starring Laura Antonelli, Marcello Mastroianni, Michele Placido and Terence Stamp. It was entered into the 26th Berlin International Film Festival. It was distributed in the U.S. by Analysis Film Releasing Corp.

<i>Romanzo Criminale</i> 2005 Italian film

Romanzo criminale is an Italian-language crime drama film released in 2005, directed by Michele Placido. It was highly acclaimed and won 15 awards. It is based on Giancarlo De Cataldo's 2002 novel, which is in turn inspired by the true story of the Banda della Magliana. The Magliana gang was one of the most powerful Italian criminal associations, dominating Rome's drug, gambling and other kinds of crime activities from the early 1970s until the death of Enrico De Pedis in 1992. The gang's affiliates started their career kidnapping rich people, drug dealing. From the 1970s they started working with the Italian secret service, fascists, terrorists, the Sicilian Mafia, the Camorra, and many more. Some gang members are still alive, as inmates of an Italian prison, or justice collaborators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carmine Crocco</span> Italian revolutionary

Carmine Crocco, known as Donatello or sometimes Donatelli, was an Italian brigand. Initially a soldier for the Bourbons, he later fought in the service of Giuseppe Garibaldi.

<i>Ernesto</i> (film) 1979 film

Ernesto is a 1979 film directed by Salvatore Samperi and starring Martin Halm. The movie is loosely based on Umberto Saba's novel of the same name.

<i>Mino</i> (miniseries) 1986 multi-national TV series or program

Mino was the eighth ZDF-Weihnachtsserie, and aired in 1986. The series was broadcast in Germany on ZDF, and consisted of 6 episodes. Broadcasting in Germany began on 25 December 1986. The series was also broadcast in Italy, and consisted of 4 episodes. Broadcasting in Italy began on 28 December 1986. The series was an Italian-German co-production. It was inspired by the Italian novel The little Alpino by Salvator Gotta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonio Sabàto Sr.</span> Italian actor (1943–2021)

Antonio Sabàto Sr. was an Italian actor noted for extensive work in the Italian exploitation genre. He was the father of model and actor Antonio Sabàto Jr. and Simmone Sabàto. Among Sabàto's starring roles were parts in the Spaghetti Western films One Dollar Too Many and Due volte Giuda.

<i>Processo per direttissima</i> 1974 Italian film

Processo per direttissima is a 1974 Italian poliziottesco film. It stars actor Gabriele Ferzetti.

<i>Father of the Godfathers</i> 1978 Italian film

Father of the Godfathers is a 1978 Italian crime film directed by Pasquale Squitieri. It stars Claudia Cardinale, Giuliano Gemma and Tony Kendall and is set in Sicily in the 1950s. Gemma was awarded 1979 Best Actor at the Montréal World Film Festival for his role.

<i>Angel of Evil</i> 2010 Italy, France, Romania film

Angel of Evil is a 2010 Italian crime film directed by Michele Placido. It is based on the biography Il fiore del male. Bandito a Milano of bank robber Renato Vallanzasca, by Italian journalist Carlo Bonini.

<i>And Agnes Chose to Die</i> 1976 film

L'Agnese va a morire, internationally released as And Agnes Chose to Die, is a 1976 Italian drama film directed by Giuliano Montaldo. It is based on a novel of the same name by Renata Viganò which won the Viareggio Prize in 1949.

Gianlorenzo Baraldi is an Italian costume designer and film producer. He won a Nastro d'Argento for Best Scenography and a David di Donatello for Best Sets and Decorations for the film Il Marchese del Grillo by Mario Monicelli in 1982.

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.

<i>Blood of the Losers</i> 2008 Italian film

Blood of the Losers is a 2008 Italian war drama film directed by Michele Soavi. It is based on a book by Giampaolo Pansa.

<i>Desert Warrior</i> (1957 film) 1957 film

Desert Warrior is a 1957 Italian-Spanish adventure film directed by Goffredo Alessandrini, Fernando Cerchio, León Klimovsky and Gianni Vernuccio and starring Carmen Sevilla, Ricardo Montalbán and Gino Cervi.

<i>7 Minutes</i> (2016 film) 2016 Italian-Swiss-French drama film by Michele Placido

7 Minutes is a 2016 Italian-Swiss-French drama film co-written and directed by Michele Placido.

References