Accountant Patò vanishes in 1890...
But now, in 2010, 120 years later, he is back
as... 'na stampa e 'na figura !
LA SCOMPARSA DI PATÒ [The Vanishing of Patò]
Challenging the allegations of L'Araldo di
Montelusa, edition of Monday 28 April 1890
- one of the precious documents 'unearthed'
by Andrea Camilleri and that constitute the
basis on which the Sicilian writer has been
able to build the imaginary and strange
adventure as well as the possible death of
Mr Pato - a recent survey, carried out in close collaboration between MM Camilleri, Mortelliti
and Nichetti, gives us back the same man, priciso 'ntifico, in good shape and ready for a new
adventure... the same adventure, in fact, brought by a movie.
Director of the Trinacria bank of Vigàta and notable of the town, Mr. Antonio Pato usually plays the role of Judas
in the 'Passion of Christ' for the traditional Venerdì Santo performance and each year, as he commits suicide,
Judas disappears from the scene through a trapdoor disguised under his feet.
But in the year 1890, the accountant disappears once and for all. Is Patò dead or is he hiding ?
Murì Patò o s’ammucciò ?
The investigation is set in motion in Vigàta, revealing the usual rivalry between the Reali Carabinieri and the
Pubblica Sicurezza, punctuated by the provincial and local newspaper articles and some anonymous and spicy
commentaries that bloom on the walls of the city.
Rumors and gossip explode, heralds of a scandal that the authorities will suffocate... at the expense of truth.
[Trailer found on iVid.it]
This is the first film adaptation of a historical novel by Camilleri, partly because his detective
series, animated by his Inspector Montalbano is far more popular, at least in Italy, and has
already inspired a television series, rather poor in my opinion and I'm afraid it would require
a bigger talent to bring to the screen a historical novel by Camilleri, without betraying the
essence of his creation.
We can always wait until the movie comes out, no hurry.
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LA SCOMPARSA DI PATÒ, Italy, 2010
Director: Rocco Mortelliti
Screenplay: Andrea Camilleri, Rocco Mortelliti, Maurizio Nichetti
Cast: Nino Frassica, Maurizio Casagrande, Neri Marcorè [Patò], Alessandra Mortelliti
Production: 13 Dicembre S.r.l.
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Andrea Camilleri [wiki]- Best of Sicily [a previous PPG post]
- From Montelusa to Vigàta [Sicily tour]
- The Sage of Sicily,
In a recent interview, the writer points out, with his usual irony, the similarities between
the pressures exerted on the police in his novel, with those we still can find today in the late
Berlusconi's 'affairs'.
Citing Tomasi di Lampedusa in Il Gattopardo, Camilleri notes that even today, in Italy,
everything changes in such a way that nothing changes.
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