This film is rich in cultural, historical and social history. It shows how tough and brutal life could be in pre-WWII Sicily. I like the way the town evolves from a dusty run-down village to one of modern Italy. The ending is very dreamlike and confusing, but you can make of it as you want. It is artistic and a cause for post-viewing discussions.
My only beef about the film is the subtitles that they chose to make with white lettering, not outlined in black. When will film companies finally realize that they need to make subtitles more readable --- research shows that yellow with a blue outline is easiest on the eyes. We missed a lot of the dialog due to difficult to read subtitles. But as far as the actual CRAFT of the film -- it is superb.
My only beef about the film is the subtitles that they chose to make with white lettering, not outlined in black. When will film companies finally realize that they need to make subtitles more readable --- research shows that yellow with a blue outline is easiest on the eyes. We missed a lot of the dialog due to difficult to read subtitles. But as far as the actual CRAFT of the film -- it is superb.