Based on the 1984 book by Mario Puzo, “The Sicilian” novel was originally part of “The Godfather” literary saga. Due to copyright issues, all references to the Corleone family, specifically Michael, whose character was in exile in Sicily during the period of the story, was excised from the film adaptation. The real life Salvatore Giuliano, by standards of the day a lower middle class peasant whose parents owned a small plot of land, rose to prominence trading food on the black market after the Allies liberated Sicily during WW2. A cascade of violent events was spurred by collusion of the carabinieri (former fascist state police), local mafioso and American armed forces to go after the smaller fish in the black market while leaving the corrupt major players untouched. Giuliano ignited a grass roots movement of resistance, eventually retaliating with kidnappings and extortion of the wealthy. Police killings by his roving band of brigands escalated, and Giuliano soon became a naïve but influential power broker, mingling with various center right forces angling for Sicilian independence. Giuliano’s ego and misunderstanding of the size and complex mosaic of factions gathering against him, which end up subverting even his most loyal friend, Gaspare (John Turturro), leads to his downfall. The terrific cast includes Terence Stamp, Joss Ackland, Barbara Sukowa and Aldo Ray.
