Li chiamarono… briganti!

Li chiamarono… briganti!

Year: 1999

Runtime: 129 mins

Language: Italian

Director: Pasquale Squitieri

Drama

The story of a group of brigands who fought against Victor Emmanuel II during Italian unification.

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Timeline & Setting – Li chiamarono… briganti! (1999)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Li chiamarono… briganti! (1999). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1860s

Set in the early 1860s during Italy's unification, the film follows the fallout after Garibaldi's Expedition of the Thousand. Promises of amnesty crumble, fueling distrust and rebellion among the people. The period is marked by brutal repression as new and old powers contest control of central-southern Italy.

Location

Rionero in Vulture, Basilicata

Rionero in Vulture sits in the sunbaked hills of the Basilicata region in southern Italy. The surrounding Vulture area provides rugged terrain that shapes guerrilla warfare and the rebels' hideouts. The landscape and local communities reflect the harsh economic conditions of the Risorgimento era, grounding the story in a region torn between old loyalties and new political orders.

🌍 Basilicata 🗺️ Vulture region 🕰️ 19th century

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:04

Main Characters – Li chiamarono… briganti! (1999)

Meet the key characters of Li chiamarono… briganti! (1999), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Carmine Crocco (Enrico Lo Verso)

Outlaw from Rionero in Vulture who becomes the leader of a band composed mainly of the province's poor. He is driven by unkept promises of pardons and by a desire to defend his homeland. He coordinates campaigns and navigates fragile alliances, showing pragmatic leadership amid harsh conditions.

🗡️ Rebel 🧭 Leader 🌍 Local figure

Don Pietro (Remo Girone)

A cleric who persuades Crocco to join the Bourbon resistance, promising money and weapons. He embodies the clerical role used to mobilize support and lend religious legitimacy to political aims. His influence highlights the tension between faith and state power in turbulent times.

🙏 Cleric 🧭 Manipulative 🕊️ Faith and politics

General Enrico Cialdini (Benoît Vallès)

Tasked with crushing Crocco's revolt, he commands the state’s brutal response. He orders mass executions and confiscations, embodying the ruthless authority of the new government. His campaign underscores the heavy cost of restoration and control in a nation at a crossroads.

⚔️ Military 🗡️ Ruthless 🏛️ Authority

José Borjes (Francesco Mazzini)

A Bourbon-aligned general sent from exile to reinforce and discipline the brigands. Crocco suspects foreign influence and fears losing leadership to external power, leading to tense collaboration. The alliance is fragile and ultimately dissolves as Crocco seeks autonomy.

🛡️ Foreign ally 🤝 Alliance 🗺️ Strategic

Caruso (Ennio Coltorti)

Crocco's lieutenant who betrays him by revealing hideouts to the authorities. The betrayal leads to significant casualties and forces Crocco to rethink his strategy. The act exposes vulnerabilities and the fragility of loyalty within the band.

🗡️ Betrayal 🧭 Lieutenant 🕵️‍♂️ Espionage

Caporale Nerza (Franco Nero)

A disciplined corporal who enforces order within the volatile ranks and endures the brutal campaign. His presence highlights the militarized nature of the conflict and the toll of war on those below the top commanders. He embodies duty under pressure in a war-torn landscape.

🎖️ Soldier 🛡️ Discipline 🌍 Local

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:04

Major Themes – Li chiamarono… briganti! (1999)

Explore the central themes of Li chiamarono… briganti! (1999), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🔥 Resistance

A central thread is the resistance of the poor against a changing political order. Crocco's brigands mobilize around local grievances, seeking autonomy and relief from taxation and hunger. The clergy's involvement, including Don Pietro's persuasion, blurs lines between spiritual authority and political leverage. The violence from both rebels and authorities casts resistance in a morally complex light.

🤝 Loyalty

Loyalty is tested as Crocco grapples with external powers and shifting alliances. The arrival of Borjes promises aid but threatens Crocco's leadership, forcing him to balance pragmatism with independence. Caruso's betrayal exposes vulnerabilities and undermines trust within the ranks. The film portrays how loyalty can bend under pressure, leading to difficult choices.

⚖️ Repression

The state responds with brutal repression, showing the cost of political upheaval to civilians. Cialdini's orders escalate violence, with mass killings and confiscations that spare no one. The crackdown starkly contrasts law and order with the desperation of the poor, painting a grim portrait of a society in transition.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:04

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Li chiamarono… briganti! Timeline

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