In the Name of the Pope King

In the Name of the Pope King
Directed by	Luigi Magni
Written by	Luigi Magni
Produced by	Franco Committeri
Starring	Nino Manfredi Danilo Mattei Carlo Bagno
Cinematography	Danilo Desideri
Edited by	Ruggero Mastroianni
Music by	Armando Trovajoli
Release date	December 3, 1977 (1977-12-03)
Running time	103 minutes
Country	Italy
Language	Italian

In the Name of the Pope King or In nome del papa re is a 1977 Italian drama film written, and directed by Luigi Magni. Starring Nino Manfredi, it was not released in USA until 1986. The score was composed by Armando Trovajoli.

Plot

In October 1867 the papal Rome, led by Pius IX, is shaken by a bomb attack carried out in the sewers of the barracks of Palazzo Serristori, which kills twenty-three French pro-papal Zouaves. A countess, mother of secret revolutionary Cesare Costa, accused with friends Giuseppe Monti and Gaetano Tognetti to have organised this massacre, goes to a judge of the Holy See, Bishop of Priverno Colombo, asking him to help her. To overcome the resistance of the Prelate, she tells him that he is the father of the accused, born during their short affair in 1849. The prelate is able to release him, hiding him in his house along with his girlfriend, but he is not able to intervene in favor of the other two arrested to be sentenced to death by the ecclesiastical court, despite an eloquent speech ponounced in front of the court. This speech causes a severe reprimand by the Pope and the General of the Jesuits, at that time called "the black pope" due to the strong power exercised by this order on the papacy.

At the end, however, Cesare Costa will be killed in an ambush by the husband of the countess who believed him to be his wife's lover. Finally, Colombo cites a letter full of bitterness and resentment that would like to write to the Pope, but to no avail, because his perpetual cry for sorrow. The movie ends when Colombo breaks with the general of the Society of Jesus, since during a holy Mass who is celebrating him does not grant him the communion.

The film describes how advanced the decrepitude of the temporal power and its laws in papal Rome. As an example, after the above-mentioned speech of Monsignor Colombo, one of the old cardinals is awakened from sleep long enough to vote for the death penalty of Monti and Tognetti. This power will fall three years later with the breach of Porta Pia.

Cast

• Nino Manfredi: Don Colombo
• Danilo Mattei: Cesare Costa
• Carmen Scarpitta: Countess Flaminia
• Giovannella Grifeo: Teresa
• Carlo Bagno: Perpetuo
• Ettore Manni: Count Ottavio
• Gabriella Giacobbe: Maria Tognetti
• Camillo Milli: Don Marino
• Rosalino Cellamare: Gaetano Tognetti
• Salvo Randone: Black Pope

Awards

• Nastro d'Argento: Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor (Carlo Bagno) and Best Production Design.
• David di Donatello: Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor.

External links

• In the Name of the Pope King at IMDb