Year of the Gun

Starring:Andrew McCarthy, Sharon Stone, Valeria Golino, John Pankow, George Murcell, Mattia Sbragia, Roberto Posse, Thomas Elliot, Carla Cassola, Darren Modder, Carol Schneider, Ron Williams (III), Antonio Degli Schiavi, Aldo Mengolini, Francesca Prandi, Maurizio Fardo, Pietro Bontempo, Luigi Amodeo, Luigi Di Fiore, Lou Castel
Director: John Frankenheimer
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD

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In 1978 Italy, anarchy is in the air as the Red Brigades keep the country in a state of terror. Reporter David (Andrew McCarthy) moves blithely among the mayhem; after all, he's an American citizen and untouchable, right? When the manuscript for his political novel, patterned after the Brigades, falls into the wrong hands, it draws the unwelcome attentions of the Brigades, the police, and aggressive American photojournalist Allison (Sharon Stone) and lands David in hot water. Director John Frankenheimer took an overworked plot and made the best of it, though McCarthy is a bit puny as David. As would be expected in a Frankenheimer effort, though, the action segments shine with lithe editing and Frankenheimer's instincts for composition and camera work. The riots and chase segments make use of Rome's cityscape, calling to mind Euro-thrillers of the period. Stone is compelling as the foolhardy photographer, with some torrid sex scenes with McCarthy. Though not on a par with The Manchurian Candidate or Seven Days in May, Year of the Gun is a decent action film that goes a long way toward capturing the political and social chaos that was '70s Italy. --Jerry Renshaw

Customer Reviews:

Decent film, awful DVD.......2007-02-14

This is a moderately entertaining late work from John Frankenheimer. The basic premise - a young journalist writes a novel about the Red Brigade in 1970's Italy, only to have it stolen and mistaken for the truth, causing him and his friends to be hunted for murder - is strong. The film itself is hampered by an obviously low budget and a lackluster leading man, though Stone and Golino are quite good. Even with schlocky stuff like this, Frankenheimer's talent with the camera and his actors shines through.

The DVD, however, is a complete disaster. Many scenes are in Italian, but Sony has left off the original subtitles, as another reviewer mentioned. Scenes going on for five minutes at a stretch become incomprehensible. In addition, though the case says the film is in 1.66:1 widescreen, it is actually fullscreen.

The film is not a masterpiece by any means, but it deserved better treatment than this.

The Movie is Better than the Book.......2004-03-03

This is one of those occasions where the film beats the book.

The greatest enemy of this movie has nothing to do with the film. It has to do with the fact that how many viewers will care enough about Italy and its communist 70's problems.

Dialogue is dialogue unless its written by Ed Wood. The twists in the plot are enough to keep you watching. And you may even be surprised.

Polical films require the viewer to accept some amazing coincidences, the kind of coincidences that occurred in "The Day of the Jacket," which is referred to in this film also.

The film didn't and wouldn't win an award, and who cares who the director is. The novel was thin also, but again, there is no international intrigue, just an American caught in a duplicious situation.

Caution!.......2003-11-09

This DVD does not have english subtitles for the Italian dialogue. Some minor plot points are not clearly expressed because of this (Unless of course you are fluent in Italian). The old VHS versions have the english translations.
The film itself suffers from its flaws. The plot is a bit convoluted but still acceptable. Andrew McCarthy, John Pankow, and Sharon Stone all deliver somewhat lifeless performances. The already bland script is diminished by the poor delivery from the actors, and some questionable editing. The cinematography vacillates between bland and wonderful.
Despite all of its problems, I still manage to like this film. It is a must for any Frankenheimer devotee, also for any admirer of the wonderful Valeria Golino.

To tackle domestic terrorism.......2003-07-25

It is easy to knock this movie for its already mentioned shortcomings (not all of which are that serious). Yes, this is a real life story of the assasination of Aldo Moro fictionalized, courtesy of John Frankenheimer. But this is Italy in the 1970's, so why worry ?
Is there any contemporary U.S. director ready to tackle a domestic terrorism story ? David Lynch, perhaps ? "Matrix" hacks ? Coen Brothers ? I do not see any impulse in the contemporary Holywood to join the events forming the U.S. global
policy approach, just the customary bunk employing Vim Diesel
and his ilk. What a waste of dramatic potential... What a waste of all these writers hopelessly stuck in their cozy "cold war" track. It is all about a formula, isn't it ? It should be about "worldview", intelligent grasp of contemporary affairs, and, above all, about anti-Grisham revolt.. Once we abolish "Grisham" mentality, we edge closer to reality.Can these hacks retool in time, before the whole thing overtakes them because the "political correctness" ?? But I am afraid, the film-music composers will defend Grisham and his ilk to the death. The Cold War of old was good to the film music mainly, and also to writers who tried to emulate Tolkien, because the reality seemed to.
THEY WERE WRONG !!! All except Solzhenitsyn,for he knew what he was after.
My bet is - Clint Eastwood will likely come up with something that smacks of Globalpolitik and is also exciting. And the style will (and should) be ivolving Neo-Realistic amateur actors plus an inspired director combination, just like in Vittorio De Sicca or Lucchino Visconti times. Who needs Tom Cruise, Gwyneth Paltrow, etal., you know what I mean ? I myself could act in a film that means SOMETHING, but then I could not be in a movie where they would make me act phony, right ?
BUT, I watch these phony movies all the time and then I get out of the house and see how true to life they are. Do I dare to ask anyone anything ? They all assume we are on the same wavelength because of the media available to us all. How do I tell them that there is a short-wawe radio service that tells of different opinions, if you speak British English or Australian English or South-African English, not to mention if you speak or understand any other language. You would learn a bit more.

A Small And Forgettable But Decent Frankenheimer Movie.......2001-11-14

I rented this movie merely because I was in the mood for an action movie. "Year Of The Gun" is one of the more passable films that Frankenheimer has made in recent years.

In 1978, Italy is politically divided over the terrorist group The Red Brigades. An American journalist(Andrew McCarthy) is writing a fictional novel about The Red Brigades and the storyline coincidentally presages the actual terrorist plans of the group. The Brigades steal a manuscript of the novel and consider McCarthy to be a threat. As a result, McCarthy is on the run for his own life.

"Year Of The Gun" is a modest and unmemorable but decent Frankenheimer thriller. The acting is mostly wooden and the story has some logic problems. The film also features a very poorly executed bank robbery-sequence. As a Frankenheimer picture, "YOTG" doesn't come close to matching such great films as "Seven Days In May," "The Manchurian Candidate," and "Black Sunday." Nevertheless, "YOTG" actually manages to be one of the more decent thrillers that Frankenheimer has made in recent years. "YOTG" is only slightly inferior to "Ronin." The movie generates a reasonable amount of suspense. The picture also has none of the blatant ludicrousness that has plagued many of Frankenheimer's post-1960s films.

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Decent film, awful DVD.......2007-02-14

The Movie is Better than the Book.......2004-03-03

This is one of those occasions where the film beats the book.

The greatest enemy of this movie has nothing to do with the film. It has to do with the fact that how many viewers will care enough about Italy and its communist 70's problems.

Dialogue is dialogue unless its written by Ed Wood. The twists in the plot are enough to keep you watching. And you may even be surprised.

Polical films require the viewer to accept some amazing coincidences, the kind of coincidences that occurred in "The Day of the Jacket," which is referred to in this film also.

Caution!.......2003-11-09

To tackle domestic terrorism.......2003-07-25

A Small And Forgettable But Decent Frankenheimer Movie.......2001-11-14

I rented this movie merely because I was in the mood for an action movie. "Year Of The Gun" is one of the more passable films that Frankenheimer has made in recent years.

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