Processo alla città (Das Lied vom Verrat)

The double murder of the Cuocolo couple in 1906 led to one of the largest court cases in Italian history: the trial lasted seventeen months and exposed the dealings of the Neapolitan Camorra to the public. Luigi Zampa’s film adaptation portrays the historic crusade of a dedicated judge (Amadeo Nazzari) against abuse of power and all resistance as a gripping drama with contemporary relevance. This systemic critique, disguised as a crime story, of a society corrupted by mafia influence was a key precursor to Leonardo Sciascia’s novels and Italy’s political thriller cinema. Co-writer Suso Cecchi D’Amico, arguably Italy’s most important screenwriter, considered *Processo alla città* her best work and Zampa one of the country’s most underrated filmmakers: “He had a unique talent for bringing out the relevance of our stories.” (Christoph Huber)

Photo: Austrian Film Museum