ShelbyTMItchell This case still affects not just in the so-called Roaring Twenties but also of today and of our future. As we see that Nicola Sacco and Bartholomeo Vanzetti, two Italian born men and devout anarchists were executed due to their anarchists beliefs.Murder was gruesome in Brantree, MA but it was their beliefs and the Red Scare that really not just divided a nation but divided a whole entire world.Case that still haunts us in the twenties, haunts us today and for the future. As the tag line says "If it happened once, it could happen again!" The late, great Riccardo Cucciolla and late great, Gian Marie Volente in the respected Sacco and Vanzetti roles. Were made as scapegoats as they could not get a fair trial as the criminal justice system also looked at them being Italians, which were in the minority at the time.Sacco was the quiet family man shoemaker and Vanzetti was more of the spokesman, fish peddler of the two and more of the talker. And maybe would had been a college professor if he had a college degree had it probably not been for his beliefs or being Italian. That they are portrayed to be. As the case also takes a toll on their families along the way.Cyri Cusack as a bullying prosecutor steals the movie. As he wants to just get them to the electric chair asap it seems over their beliefs. Despite the worldwide protests over them, Cusack's character finally gets his wish.A case that should be studied all over the world!

pierre-veck My comment could not possibly add anything to the ones already available. I just want to say that the latest scandal in this story is that the film has not been made available on DVD ! Is there a conspiracy still going on to prevent such films from being watched by new generations ? I am exasperated to see that thousands of trash films are published on DVD every month while such masterpieces are still ignored. Sacco e Vanzetti reaches far beyond the subject of the two anarchists ignominiously put to death in a misconducted trial. The ghosts of the two men are still behind every prejudiced account by the media, every lie by politicians all over the world. It calls for better institutions, better democracy all over the world. The fact that so many film buffs bothered to express their admiration for this outstanding movie should entice a publisher to make this film at last available. I have kept checking for years, but nothing so far.

frankatcccp Yes, I too, remember seeing this film around thirty years ago, when it was first released. I remember it as a very, very good film, made all the better by suberb acting from both Riccardo Cucciola and Gian Maria Volonte (better remembered as the psycopathic 'Indio' in 'For a few Dollars More') and the absolutely brilliant score by Ennio Morricone and Joan Baez. While most reviews criticise the judgement and death of the two men and their subsequent posthumous pardons, did I not read somewhere or other that recent ballistic tests on the weapons proved that the gun found on Nicola Sacco was the gun used to murder the payroll guards ? I might be wrong and there again, I might not. None the less, a great film.

tuco73 Only recently I was able to see again this movie. I remember seeing it a long time ago, I must have been 16 yrs old, and I was struck by it. After so long, now I'm thirty, the effect on me is still the same.This movie is absolutely marvelous, both for construction, acting and story: it recalls the true story of 2 Italian anarchists (Sacco and Vanzetti) sentenced to death by the court in the USA in the thirties because accused to have murdered someone during a robbery. At the time the story had great impact in the people all over the world, because the evidence of their innocence was total, and in many countries there were demonstrations against such terrible injustice. Now it is only another (admitted) mistake by the US justice system... so sad nothing changed ever since... Great was also the soundtrack by Italian maestro Ennio Morricone, sung by Joan Beaz and Georges Moustaki. I doubt this movie passes in the US TV schedules (especially with nowadays local admin.), so, if you want to see a really good movie, rent it out!