Vendetta is a movie directed by Nicholas Meyer released in 1999. Based on the novel by Richard Gambino, this historical melodrama captures images of Italian Americans in early twentieth century New Orleans. Christopher Walken stars as James Houston, Clancy Brown as Chief Hennessey, and Alessandro Colla as Gaspare Marchesi.
Starting with still black and white images of Italian Americans arriving in New Orleans, accompanied with anti-immigrant audio tracks, the overall theme for the movie is set immediately. James Houston (played by Christopher Walken) is the main cotton exporter in the city of New Orleans. He feels threatened by the heavy Italian American presence, and their control of the docks. He consults Police Chief Hennessey (played by Clancy Brown) about handling the Italian American immigrant “problem” but refuses to comply. Later on, Chief Hennessey is murdered, and four random Italian immigrants are brought up on trial for the murder. The rest of the movie captures intense court-room scenes, and the laws of mob rule. The movie portrays the biggest lynching in American history, with gruesome lifelike detail.
This movie is a historical melodrama because it is based on a true historical event. However, all of the missing information is dramatized heavily for theatrical purposes, and was open to the writer’s interpretation of the historical event. However, the historical context such as the portrayal of Italian American immigrants and living quarters in turn of the century New Orleans is highly accurate. This allows for the theme of the movie to be driven home to the viewer in a more historically correct sense. The underlying moral of this story is a social class power struggle. It can be applied not only to Italian Americans, but anyone coming into a new land, fighting for old power. A secondary theme that comes into play is the effect of mob rule. It alerts all viewers that despite the laws our forefathers set forth for us, a simple uproar among the masses nullifies what we Americans take safety in each and every day; our laws. Letting anger and hatred fill ones heart can only spiral into a mob of angry, hate filled people, willing to do evil things.
The internal frame of reference in this movie is fictional, because of what was stated previously. The screenwriter needs to extrapolate the bits and pieces in each characters life, only to lead up to the non-fictional external frame of reference. A viewer must have prior knowledge to understand that the fictional internal frame is represented accurately through history.
The most important cinemotagraphy moment in the film was during the opening of the film. Still black and white photos are shown with anti-immigrant radio talk being played in the background. I felt that this captured the innocence of immigrants coming to this country had, before disembarking their voyages onto American soil. These immigrants thought that this country was the land of opportunity, and they were all more than welcome to come. Meanwhile, there is great turmoil being generated among the locals, and the radio waves filled with hate fly right by their ears, unable to know what they are getting themselves into. I also thought the use of several close ups and free camera styles captured the intensity and horror of the murders taking place within the New Orleans City Prison. Providing a close up of Marchesi’s face right before taking a bullet captures a moment that sends chills down a viewer’s spine.
In conclusion, I found Vendetta to be a very historically accurate movie. There is an excellent balance between typical Hollywood drama, and events that happened in the past that viewers cringe to know really happened. This is what made Vendetta a memorable movie. It gives Italian American’s a not so stereotypical representation; oppressed. Even though the gang related aspect of Italians is portrayed, it is done while still showing that there was virtually no other option for Italian American immigrants. Vendetta shows where the Mafia stemmed from, and why such a organization had to be assembled.
-GulinoGanders
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