The Traitor

“The most beautiful film is our own history,” confessed Marco Bellocchio to a journalist following the release of , after it surpassed at the Italian box office, proving yet again that the Mafia movie is still a commodity worth investing in. While the adjective “beautiful” might be up for debate, it’s undeniable that the history of postwar Italy is richer in plot twists, tragicomic exploits, and violent assaults on the established order than your average Hollywood blockbuster. For better or worse, Italian screenwriters can rely on an ever-growing database of (sur)real stories that the most fervid imagination would have a hard time coming up with. And as the accurately depicted scenes of the Maxi Trial of Palermo in show, Italians retain their knack for comedic antics in the most dire and dramatic situations, the court of law being no