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July 3, 1999
Hbo Home Video
R (Restricted)
Nicholas Meyer
Christopher Walken, Pierrino Mascarino, Edward Herrmann, Dianne Crittenden, George Martin (II), James Bearden, Vincent Marino, John Healy, Clancy Brown, Richard Blackburn, Stuart Stone, Piero Didiano, Stephanie Sams, Luke Askew, Travis Burrows, Patrick Patterson, Brian Kaulback, Lynne Charnay, Richard Libertini, Delores Etienne
While history books often use the 1921 Sacco and Vanzetti case as an example of justice falling victim to the bigotry of the times, this HBO movie--based on a turn-of-the-century New Orleans trial--provides a far more sobering example. Vendetta opens with a montage of black-and-white photos of immigrants arriving in the U.S., accompanied by an audio track of anti-immigrant invective that sets the tone for the rest of the movie. Christopher Walken lends his always unsettling presence as the city's largest cotton exporter and mastermind of a plot to take over the docks from the Italian immigrants who run them. When police chief David Hennessy (Clancy Brown) refuses to go along with the plan, he's shot and killed, and a random group of Italian produce merchants are accused of the murder. The trial and its appalling aftermath are portrayed with a realistic vehemence that may make some viewers flinch. Director Nicholas Meyer has coaxed powerful performances from a cast of mostly unknown actors, most notable among these is Alessandro Colla, who makes his debut as 15-year-old Gaspare Marchesi and provides the film's few smiles. The pacing makes Vendetta hard to follow at first, but as the subplots begin to converge like cars speeding toward the same intersection, the film compels you to keep watching until the inevitable conclusion. --Larisa Lomacky Moore - Amazon.com
