The film is worth watching for its spectacular settings and scenery way up in the mountains with stupendous cinematography all the way, accompanied by great music. The story is simple: it's the end of the war, and all the Alpine fighters wish to do is to get home, but there are still Germans scattered in the mountains, and one battalion is set on blowing up a dam. The main fighting scenes are about this dam, splendidly photographed, when the mountain fighters, really ordinary villagers, make a great effort to save the dam. There is a romance also and very idyllic pastoral scenes with the villagers and a very young Marcello Mastroianni courting a pretty Marina Vlady. It is not a very remarkable film but worth watching indeed for its impressing cinematography and scenery and rustic scenes among the peasants.
Review of Penne nere
