简介：TherewereveryfewcommercialfeaturefilmsmadeduringtheItalianfascisterathatwereasopenlypropagandisticasthisfamous(notorious?)dramaticpaeantotheBlackshirts.ThestorytakesplaceinasmallvillageinItalyinOctoberof1922,ontheeveofthefascist"MarchonRome",inwhichKingVictorEmanuelIIIwaspersuadedtoconsignpowertoBenitoMussolini.GianfrancoGiachettiisDr.Cardini,adoctoratthelocalpsychiatrichospital,whereastrikehasbeencalledbythelocalsocialists.Cardiniturnstothefasciststohelpavertthestrike.HissonRoberto(MinoDoro)roundsupfascistfriendstofightthosealignedwiththestrikersandthetown'ssocialists.Mario,Roberto'skidbrother(winninglyportrayedbyFrancoBrambilla),wearsthefascistarmbandthatreads"menefrego"("Tohellwithit"--amottoofthefascistsquadristi.)"Theyarenotnaughtywords,"hetellshislittlesister,"theyjustshowthatwefascistshavenofearofanything."Brawlsbreakoutbetweenthefascistsandthestrikersandtheyaregiventhe"castoroil"treatment(rememberthefatherinFellini'sAMARCORD?)andforcedtoreturntowork.Moreconfrontationsoccurbetweenthefascistsandthe"socialistsubversives",whoareofcourseseenasathreattotheItaliansocialorderinthisvillage,amicrocosmicemblemofthenation.MorebattlesensueandinoneofthemlittleMarioisshotdown.Newsoftheboy'sdeathstrengthensthefascists'resolvetojoininthemovementtoformanewItaliangovernment.Thejourneywillrescuethenationfromtheclutchesofsubversion,socialism,communism.Dr.Cardinigoeswiththem."Today,nobodycanstayathome!Marioiswithus!"Onaverysimplistic,elementallevelthefilmsucceedsinrousingpassions,exactlyitsintention.Onanyintellectualormorallevel,thereisagreatdealtoquestionhere,ofcourse,especiallyinhindsight.Simplyasafilm,itisextremelyinterestinganddirectedeffectivelybythegreatAlessandroBlasetti,whogaveusterrificfilmslikeTHEIRONCROWN,PRIMACOMUNIONEandFABIOLA.In1937itplayedNewYorkCityattheBroadwayCine'Roma,anItalian-languagehouse,underthetitlePICCOLOEROEor"LITTLEHERO",atatimewhenmanyItalian-AmericansorItalianslivinginAmericaindeedsupportedMussoliniasasavioroftheItaliannation.(GeraldA.Deluca,imdb.com)Onitsreleasethefilmreceivedapositivereceptionfromcriticsforitsstylisticqualitiesandinnovativeapproaches,suchasrealisticcuttingandnativelanguageoftheactors,intunewiththeirsocio-culturalclass.Howevertheregimereceivedthefilmwithacoldnessorevenhostility,includingtopfilmofficialLuigiFreddi("Ithoughttomyselfthatmydutywastorejectthefilm...theRegime,inmyopinion,certainlydidnotneedthoseexhumations").Thisreflectstheinherentthreatofthefilm'sglorificationofthesquadristiatatimewhentheregimewantedtoforgetits"revolutionary"pastandtheFascists'defenseofthewealthyclassesandemployersagainsttheworkingclassesandtheproletariatthatIlDucehimselfhadalwaysbeenproudtoprotect.InRomeitissaidthatMussoliniprojectedthefilmatVillaTorloniaandwept.Howeverthefeaturestayedincirculationonlyafewmonthsandtheregimedidnotpublicizeit.AfterVecchiGuardia,Italiancinemaretrenchedintheapolitical,suchasthetelefonibianchi[whitetelephone]films,characterizedbyanabsenceofpoliticalandsocialissues.OnlywithItaly'sentryintothewarin1940wouldpoliticalfilmsagainbeproducedinthe"apologetic"vein(TheSiegeoftheAlcazar,Giarabub,etc..).(http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vecchia_guardia,translatedandadaptedbyfilmnutz)
