Difficult Years (1948): Cast & Plot
Difficult Years is a 1948 drama directed by Luigi Zampa, starring Massimo Girotti as Giovanni Piscitello, Umberto Spadaro and Delia Scala. It runs 1 hour 50 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 50m (110 min)
- Director
- Luigi Zampa
- Genre
- Drama
- Original language
-
Italian - Studio
- Briguglio Film
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Difficult Years About?
The premise of Difficult Years without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Aldo Piscitello, a minor government clerk, is forced in 1934 to join the Fascist Party. When World War II erupts, he can only whisper dissent against Mussolini while his son Giovanni is sent to the front. By the war’s end Aldo finally summons the courage to openly oppose the regime, but it comes too late.
Difficult Years Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- man slaps a woman
- neorealism
- fascist
- world war two
- political consciousness
- widow
- marriage engagement
- radio london
- moral cowardice
- cowardice
- declaration of war
- la marseillaise
+38 more Show fewer
- political appointment
- shot in the back
- semi autobiographical
- magnifying glass
- year 1943
- pre world war two
- based on history
- weapons trafficking
- political activism
- political satire
- political repression
- soldier
- archive footage
- cinema
- boot
- black shirt
- censorship
- opera
- reference to benito mussolini
- fall of fascism
- italian fascism
- fascist salute
- anti fascist
- fascism
- municipal clerk
- civil servant
- black cat
- year 1939
- year 1938
- year 1934
- 1940s
- 1930s
- messina italy
- sicily italy
- italy
- politics
- death of son
- based on novel
Difficult Years Cast & Characters
Massimo Girotti leads the cast as Giovanni Piscitello, with Umberto Spadaro as Aldo Piscitello and Delia Scala as Elena Piscitello. Directed by Luigi Zampa; 22 actors are credited in all.
- Director Luigi Zampa
-
Massimo Girotti as Giovanni Piscitello - Umberto Spadaro as Aldo Piscitello
- Delia Scala as Elena Piscitello
- Enzo Biliotti as Il podestà
Also Starring in Difficult Years
· 18 more- Ave Ninchi Rosina Piscitello
- Aldo Silvani Il farmacista
- Milly Vitale Maria, the pharmacist's niece
- Carlo Sposito Riccardo, the Baron's son
- Loris Gizzi Il Ministro
- Ernesto Almirante Il nonnino
- Giovanni Grasso Mascoli
- Agostino Salvietti Fegarotta
- Olinto Cristina Sacchi
- Sandro Ruffini Narrator, Italian original version
- Rosetta Calavetta Elena (voice)
- Ermanno Randi Turi
- Raniero De Cenzo Rapisarda
- Miro Zonda Il federale
- Giuseppe Nicolosi Cascarà
- Paolo Monelli
Show all 22 cast members Show fewer cast members
Difficult Years Plot Summary
What happens in Difficult Years from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In 1922, Aldo Piscitello [Umberto Spadaro] is a municipal employee in Modica, a small town in Sicily, where the grip of the new regime is already tightening. As Mussolini rises to power, he is pressed by his boss [Enzo Biliotti] to join the Fascist Party, and facing the threat of losing his livelihood, he reluctantly enrolls, even backdating his membership to 1921. His wife [Ave Ninchi] Rosina Piscitello and his daughter stand by him, choosing to support the decision outwardly while the atmosphere inside the town becomes increasingly heavy with ideology. The family’s home becomes a quiet hub where loyalty and fear mingle, and where private conversations often drift into the politics that dominate public life.
Full summary
The whole story of Difficult Years, scene by scene
Difficult Years Also Known As
3 alternative titles, including “Les années difficiles” and “Kritische Jahre”.
- Also known as
-
- Les années difficiles
- Kritische Jahre
- 艰难岁月
Seen Difficult Years?
Movies Like Difficult Years
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including A Difficult Life, 1900 and Old Guard.
Difficult Years FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast, post-credit scenes and language of Difficult Years, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Difficult Years?
Difficult Years runs 1 hour 50 minutes (110 minutes).
When was Difficult Years released?
Difficult Years was released on September 3, 1948.
Who directed Difficult Years?
Difficult Years was directed by Luigi Zampa.
More films by Luigi Zampa Who is in the cast of Difficult Years?
Difficult Years stars Massimo Girotti as Giovanni Piscitello, Umberto Spadaro as Aldo Piscitello and Delia Scala as Elena Piscitello, among 22 credited actors.
Does Difficult Years have a post-credit scene?
No. Difficult Years has no extra scene during or after the credits.
What language is Difficult Years in?
The original language of Difficult Years is Italian.
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