Long Night in 1943


Long Night in 1943, The Long Night of '43 or It Happened in '43 is an Italian film of 1960 set in Ferrara, in the Italian Social Republic Nazi puppet state during the late stages of WW2. It was directed by Florestano Vancini and adapted by Vancini, Ennio De Concini and Pier Paolo Pasolini from a short story by Giorgio Bassani. The film stars Enrico Maria Salerno, Gino Cervi, Belinda Lee, Gabriele Ferzetti and Andrea Checchi.
In 2008 the film was selected to enter the list of the "100 Italian films to be saved".

Plot

During the Italian civil war Anna, the young wife of Pino, a wheelchair-bound chemist, starts an affair with Franco, an army deserter. Sciagura, a fanatical local Fascist leader, stages an assassination attempt to get rid of his opponents in the Fascist party and blames it on some resistance supporters. Among them is Franco's father. Sciagura orders the usual suspects to be shot in the night against the wall of Estense Castle. Pino can see everything from his window but doesn't say a word.

Cast

Variety called it "a well made straightfoward vehicle."

Awards

At the 1960 Venice Film Festival, the film won Vancini the award for Best First Work and a nomination for the Golden Lion.
Enrico Maria Salerno won a Silver Ribbon for Best Supporting Actor at the 1961 Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists awards.