The Basilisks

1963 1h 25m IT

🙌

7.6

BANGER

★7.6TMDB · 56

DramaComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Francesco, Sergio, and Antonio, three young men in a small, poverty-stricken village, lead uneventful lives. As all three are unemployed, they pass time roaming the streets and chasing girls. One day, Antonio's aunt asks him to stay with her and his cousins in Rome. He accepts and enrolls at a university, leaving his two friends behind to envy him for his new upscale lifestyle. But eventually Antonio returns, initially just for a day. Though he boasts about his life, he never returns to Rome and instead opts for his friends and the place he grew up, despite all its shortcomings.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Stefano Satta Flores
Francesco
Antonio Petruzzi
Antonio
Rosanna Santoro
Anna
Sergio Ferranino
Sergio
Luigi Barbieri
Antonio's Father
Flora Carabella
Luciana Bonfanti
Mimma Quirico
Aunt Maria
Enzo Di Vecchia
Friend

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Lina Wertmüller
Writers: Lina Wertmüller, Lina Wertmüller
Languages: Italian
Countries: Italy

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

RUNTIME

Did you know

85 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

63 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Lina Wertmüller, shot by Gianni Di Venanzo. 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 Ennio Morricone. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Ruggero Mastroianni 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

Stefano Satta Flores and Antonio Petruzzi and Rosanna Santoro carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0056856 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 56 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Lina Wertmüller directs. Gianni Di Venanzo behind the camera. Ennio Morricone scores. Ruggero Mastroianni cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Italy. Dialogue in Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

185 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
263 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Lina Wertmüller, shot by Gianni Di Venanzo. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Ennio Morricone. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Ruggero Mastroianni shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Stefano Satta Flores and Antonio Petruzzi and Rosanna Santoro carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0056856 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 56 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.