1 / 8
ERA
Did you know
46 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
Zappatore
1980 1h 38m IT
🙌
7.7
BANGER
★7.7TMDB · 9
Drama
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
Francesco Esposito and his wife Maddalena are two farmers who raised Mario, their only son, with loving devotion. To help him study, they also incurred debts to the city's loan shark. The boy has since become a brilliant lawyer and in Naples, where he moved for work, he met Nancy, the daughter of an Italian-American industrialist, and fell in love with her; it would seem like a story with a happy ending, if it weren't for the fact that Mario is ashamed of his parents' humble origins.
“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”
Cast
Mario Merola
Francesco, 'o zappatore
Regina Bianchi
Maddalena, la madre
Mara Venier
Nancy
Gerardo Amato
Mario figlio di Francesco, avvocato
Aldo Giuffrè
Marescia Barbato
Lucio Montanaro
Pasqualino
Augusta Di Vincenzi
Party guest (uncredited)
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Alfonso Brescia
- Languages
- Italian
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 🍿
2 / 8
CRAFT
Did you know
Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by Alfonso Brescia, shot by Silvio Fraschetti. 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 Eduardo Alfieri. 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 Walter Diotallevi 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
Mario Merola and Regina Bianchi and Mara Venier carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
WILD
Did you know
IMDB entry: tt0081800 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
WILD
Did you know
Only 9 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
MoodPlayr · trivia#08
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Alfonso Brescia directs. Silvio Fraschetti behind the camera. Eduardo Alfieri scores. Walter Diotallevi cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Dialogue in Italian.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 146 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
- 2Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
- 3Directed by Alfonso Brescia, shot by Silvio Fraschetti. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 4Original score by Eduardo Alfieri. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
- 5Editor Walter Diotallevi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 6Mario Merola and Regina Bianchi and Mara Venier carry the top of the cast.
- 7IMDB entry: tt0081800 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 8Only 9 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
The technical file
- Cinematography
- Silvio Fraschetti
- Original score
- Eduardo Alfieri
- Editing
- Walter Diotallevi
- Runtime
- 98 min · 1h 38m
- Status
- Released
- Original language
- IT
- IMDB
- Zappatore (1980)
Also by
Alfonso Brescia
Key crew
- CostumerValeria Valenza
- EditorWalter Diotallevi
Release history · US
When it landed
- Theatrical1980-12-05
