Vitaliano Brancati

Writer

Vitaliano Brancati (1907–1954) was an Italian novelist and playwright from Sicily, known for works that examine Sicilian society and critique Fascist ideals. He is best known for the novel Il bell'Antonio.

Il bell'Antonio was adapted as a 1960 film directed by Mauro Bolognini starring Marcello Mastroianni and Claudia Cardinale, and adapted in a two-episode Rai fiction (2005) starring Daniele Liotti and Nicole Grimaudo. Brancati's writing often uses tragicomic and satirical tones to explore masculinity and social mores.

The single review summarizes Il bell'Antonio's plot and main theme: sexual impotence set against Fascist virility. It compares the novel with the 1960 film and the 2005 Rai fiction, evaluating performances and faithfulness to the book. The reviewer finds some screen versions stronger in characterization and calls the book somewhat disappointing.

For:Readers of 20th-century Italian literature and fans of film/TV adaptations of novels.

The theme addressed in the book, light in tone, is impotence: sexual impotence against the myth of strength and virility proclaimed by Fascism which hides the moral impotence of Italian society at the time, as explained to Antonio by the wise uncle Ermenegildo (in the fiction a masterful Leo Gullotta).
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