The Wide Blue Road

1957 1h 43m IT

😐

6.2

MID

★6.2TMDB · 14

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Squarciò, a fisherman, lives with his family on a small island off the Dalmatian coast of Italy. Like his fellow villagers, Squarciò struggles against harsh living conditions, a scarcity of fish in nearby waters and exploitation by the local wholesaler. But while the other fishermen continue to use nets, he goes out to the open sea to fish illegally with bombs. But Squarciò borrows money, loses his boat, and in a moment of supreme desperation, has to bomb directly off-shore, causing the hatred and rejection of his fellow fishermen. Trying to save his family, Squarciò and his young sons sail their new boat out beyond the local waters and bomb-fish again. But this time, the sea exacts a terrible toll…

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Yves Montand
Giovanni Squarciò
Alida Valli
Rosetta, the Wife
Francisco Rabal
Salvatore
Peter Carsten
Riva, 2nd Coast Guard Officer
Federica Ranchi
Diana Squarciò, the Daughter
Terence Hill
Renato
Josip Batistić
Stane Potokar

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Gillo Pontecorvo
Writers: Gillo Pontecorvo, Franco Solinas, Ennio De Concini
Languages: Italian
Countries: Germany, France, Italy, Yugoslavia

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

69 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 4 countries: Germany, France, Italy, Yugoslavia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo, shot by Mario Montuori. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Carlo Franci. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Editor Eraldo Da Roma shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Yves Montand and Alida Valli and Francisco Rabal carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0050454 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 14 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Gillo Pontecorvo directs. Mario Montuori behind the camera. Carlo Franci scores. Eraldo Da Roma cuts. Produced in Germany, France, Italy, Yugoslavia. Dialogue in Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

169 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2International production across 4 countries: Germany, France, Italy, Yugoslavia.
3Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo, shot by Mario Montuori. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Carlo Franci. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Eraldo Da Roma shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Yves Montand and Alida Valli and Francisco Rabal carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0050454 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 14 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.