Misplaced Pages

Open Doors (film)

Article snapshot taken from[REDACTED] with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
(Redirected from Porte aperte) 1990 Italian film by Gianni Amelio This article is about the 1990 Italian film. For the 2005 British film, see The Open Doors.

Porte aperte
Directed byGianni Amelio
Written byGianni Amelio
Vincenzo Cerami
Alessandro Sermoneta
Starring
CinematographyTonino Nardi
Edited bySimona Paggi
Music byFranco Piersanti
Distributed byOrion Classics (US)
Release date
  • 29 March 1990 (1990-03-29)
Running time108 minutes
CountryItaly
LanguageItalian
Box office$252,000 (Italy)

Open Doors (Italian: Porte aperte) is a 1990 Italian film directed by Gianni Amelio, based on the 1987 novel Porte Aperte by Leonardo Sciascia. Set in 1930s Palermo, the film follows a judge who challenges the prevailing support for the death penalty. His stance is tested when a man perpetrates a gruesome triple murder, sparking conflict with both the fascist regime and public sentiment, ultimately compelling him to confront his moral principles.

The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the 63rd Academy Awards.

Plot

In 1936, in Palermo, a former judicial officer named Tommaso Scalia brutally murders the former top lawyer, Spatafora, who was responsible for his dismissal, along with his colleague who replaced him due to their association with a fascist organization. He then proceeds to assault and kill his own wife before turning himself in to the police. The public demands Scalia's execution, and the justice system, aligned with Mussolini's regime, is eager to comply. However, a jury member named Vito Di Francesco, opposed to capital punishment, attempts to uncover the true motives behind the crimes through subtle questioning of witnesses. Throughout the trial, he clashes not only with the prosecutor and court officials, who prioritize strict adherence to state laws even at the expense of humanity, but also faces hostility from the defendant himself.

Consolo, a modest landowner serving as a juror, supports Di Francesco's approach. Eventually, Scalia is sentenced to a prison term instead of execution. Shortly after, Di Francesco is transferred to a remote district court, where his idea that justice should be guided by principles of fairness rather than political agendas fails to attract attention.

Cast

Awards and nominations

Won

Nominated

See also

References

  1. Bisogni, Daniela (3 September 1990). "Italo b.o. piccolo". Variety. p. 51.
  2. "The 63rd Academy Awards (1991) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 12 September 2015.

External links

Awards
Preceded byLandscape in the Mist European Film Award for Best European Film
1990 		Succeeded byRiff-Raff
Films directed by Gianni Amelio
European Film Award for Best Film
Italian submissions for Academy Award for Best International Feature Film
1947–1960
1961–1980
1981–2000
2001–2020
2021–present


Stub icon

This 1990s drama film–related article is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

Stub icon

This article related to an Italian film of the 1990s is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

Categories:
Open Doors (film) Add topic