Such a courageous film, so full of history and culture but filtered through the irony of the centuries. The eternal ugly side of politics reflects itself on the mirror of the past, with the bitterness of Scipio, the cynicism of his brother Lucio, the moral (and physical) beauty of his wife Emilia (Silvana Mangano), the stern but utilitarian morality of Cato, the indifference of the Gods, while the roman ruins of the scenery, and the modern language (roman dialect in the original) of the characters (splendid all the actors),demonstrate that past is present. Forty years old, this movie keeps being a perfect metaphor not only of the actual Italian situation but of the human factors, tragedy and comedy together. For refined palates.
Review of Scipio the African (1971)
