Many Wars Ago

"They fought by the rule book... and died by the thousands!"

1970 1h 41m IT

👍

7.3

SOLID

⭐

7.6

IMDB

★7.3TMDB · 144★7.6IMDB · 2,240

DramaWar

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Time after time, soldiers of the Italian Army are forced to leave their mountain trenches in attempts to storm an enemy fortress, always with the same disastrous results. As casualties mount, indignation spreads among the rank and file. Disturbed by his superiors' decisions, Lieutenant Sassu is led to question the purpose of war and reconsider where his real duties lie.

“They fought by the rule book... and died by the thousands!”

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Cast

Mark Frechette
Lt. Sassu
Alain Cuny
Gen. Leone
Gian Maria Volonté
Lt. Ottolenghi
Giampiero Albertini
Capt. Abbati
Pier Paolo Capponi
Lt. Santini
Franco Graziosi
Maj. Malchiodi
Mario Feliciani
Colonel Doctor
Alberto Mastino
Soldier Marrasi

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Francesco Rosi
Writers: Tonino Guerra, Francesco Rosi, Raffaele La Capria
Languages: Italian
Countries: 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

56 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Italy, Yugoslavia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Francesco Rosi, shot by Pasqualino De Santis. 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 Piero Piccioni. 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

Mark Frechette and Alain Cuny and Gian Maria Volonté carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "They fought by the rule book... and died by the thousands!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0066511 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Francesco Rosi directs. Pasqualino De Santis behind the camera. Piero Piccioni scores. Ruggero Mastroianni cuts. Produced in Italy, Yugoslavia. Dialogue in Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

156 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2International production across 2 countries: Italy, Yugoslavia.
3Directed by Francesco Rosi, shot by Pasqualino De Santis. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Piero Piccioni. 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.
6Mark Frechette and Alain Cuny and Gian Maria Volonté carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "They fought by the rule book... and died by the thousands!".
8IMDB entry: tt0066511 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Pasqualino De Santis
Original score: Piero Piccioni
Editing: Ruggero Mastroianni
Production design: Andrea Crisanti
Costume design: Gabriella Pescucci
Makeup / hair: Massimo De Rossi
Runtime: 101 min · 1h 41m
Status: Released
Original language: IT
Certification (US): 16
IMDB: Many Wars Ago (1970)
IMDB rating: 7.6/10 · 2,240 votes
MPAA: Not Rated

Awards

1 win total

Also by

Francesco Rosi

Community reviews

What people are saying

Nutshell2019-07-17
★ 8/10
A truly compelling anti-war film from Italy, which echoes Kubrick's earlier masterpiece Paths of Glory. Excellent performances and camera work communicate the message well: war is the most insane kind of hell indeed...

Production companies