Hands over the City () is a 1963 Italian drama film co-written and directed by Francesco Rosi. It follows the real estate agent and politician Eduardo Nottola (Rod Steiger), who uses his power as a city councilman member to lobby for the displacement of the impoverished Naples population, and his personal fight against the idealist socialist politician De Vita (Carlo Fermariello).
The film had its world premiere at the main competition of the 24th Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Golden Lion, the festival's top prize.
In 2008, the film was included on the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage's 100 Italian films to be saved, a list of 100 films that "have changed the collective memory of the country between 1942 and 1978."
Plot A ruthless Neapolitan land developer and elected city councilman, Edoardo Nottola (Rod Steiger), manages to use political power to make personal profit in a large-scale suburban real-estate deal. However, after the collapse of a residential building next to a construction site, the manager of which is his son, the communist councilman De Vita (Carlo Fermariello) initiates an inquiry into Nottola's connection to the accident.
Cast
Rod Steiger as entrepreneur Eduardo Nottola Salvo Randone as De Angeli Guido Alberti as Maglione Angelo D'Alessandro as Balsamo Carlo Fermariello as De Vita Marcello Cannavale as Nottola's friend Alberto Canocchia as Nottola's friend Gaetano Grimaldi Filioli as Nottola's friend Dante Di Pinto as the president at the commission of enquiry Dany Paris as Maglione's lover Alberto Amato as a counsellor Franco Rigamonti as a counsellor Terenzio Cordova as the inspector Vincenzo Metafora as the mayor
Awards The film won the Golden Lion award at the 1963 Venice Film Festival.
References
External links
Hands over the City an essay by Stuart Klawans at the Criterion Collection