Luchino Visconti was a count who filmed like a Marxist. That’s the first thing you have to understand before sitting down with Rocco and His Brothers. It’s a 1960 film that feels less like a movie and more like a three-hour punch to the gut.
The story is simple. Well, it's simple on the surface. A widow named Rosaria moves from the dusty, impoverished south of Italy to the grey, industrial sprawl of Milan. She brings her five sons—Vincenzo, Simone, Rocco, Ciro, and Luca. They’re looking for a better life. They’re looking for work. What they find instead is a city that eats them alive, one by one.
Honestly, it’s a tragedy in the most classical sense. It’s operatic. Visconti didn't do "small." He did grand, sweeping, emotional wreckage. If you've ever felt like an outsider in a city that doesn't want you, this film will feel uncomfortably familiar.
The Fight for the Soul of the Parondi Family
When people talk about Rocco and His Brothers, they usually focus on the boxing. It makes sense. It’s the catalyst for the drama. But the boxing is just a metaphor for the violence of survival. Simone and Rocco, played by Renato Salvatori and Alain Delon, both end up in the ring. Simone does it for the easy money and the ego. Rocco does it to clean up the messes Simone leaves behind.
It’s messy.
The central conflict revolves around Nadia, a sex worker played by Annie Girardot. She’s probably the most tragic character in the whole thing. She falls for Simone, it turns toxic, and then she finds something genuine with Rocco. This isn't your standard Hollywood love triangle. It’s a brutal examination of how poverty and a rigid sense of family "honor" can turn brothers into enemies.
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There’s a scene on the roof of the Milan Cathedral. It’s iconic for a reason. Rocco and Nadia are there, surrounded by these beautiful, cold stone spires, and Rocco essentially tells her she has to go back to Simone because Simone needs her more. It’s infuriating. You want to scream at the screen. Rocco is a saint, but Visconti shows us that being a saint in a cruel world is actually a form of destruction. He’s so "good" that he destroys the woman he loves to appease a brother who doesn't deserve it.
Why This Isn't Just Another Old Black-and-White Movie
You might think a three-hour Italian film from 1960 would be a slog. It isn't. Giuseppe Rotunno’s cinematography makes the slushy streets of Milan look like a noir dreamscape. The contrast between the dark alleys and the bright, sterile boxing gyms creates this constant feeling of tension.
The film was actually heavily censored when it first came out. The "bridge scene"—if you know, you know—was considered far too violent and graphic for the time. Even today, it’s hard to watch. It’s not just the physical violence; it’s the psychological cruelty.
The Five Brothers as Archetypes
Visconti structured the film into chapters, each named after a brother.
- Vincenzo: The eldest who tries to assimilate and leave the family drama behind. He’s the first to see that the old "southern" ways don't work in the north.
- Simone: The tragic hero who curdles into a villain. He’s the physical manifestation of the family's corruption.
- Rocco: The heart. Alain Delon’s performance here is career-defining. He’s ethereal, almost too beautiful for the world he’s in.
- Ciro: The pragmatist. He’s the one who eventually realizes that for the family to survive, the "old" laws of blood and honor have to be replaced by the "new" laws of the state and society.
- Luca: The youngest. He’s the hope. The film ends with him, and it’s a tiny, flickering light at the end of a very dark tunnel.
Visconti was obsessed with the transition from feudalism to capitalism. In Rocco and His Brothers, you see that transition through the lens of a single apartment. At first, they’re all huddled together, sharing beds, eating from the same pot. By the end, they’re fractured. The city has done its job.
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The Legacy of the "Southern Question"
In Italy, they call it the Questione Meridionale. It’s the historical gap between the wealthy North and the neglected South. This film is the definitive cinematic statement on that gap. When the Parondis arrive at the train station in their heavy wool coats, looking confused and hopeful, they represent millions of real Italians who made that same trek.
It’s a story about migration. Not across borders, but within a country. It’s about how moving from a rural culture to an urban one strips you of your identity.
Critically, the film was a massive hit but also a scandal. The Italian authorities weren't thrilled with how it portrayed the "Italian miracle" of the post-war economic boom. It showed the rot underneath the shiny new factories. Visconti was basically saying, "Sure, we have more money now, but look what we’re losing."
Alain Delon and the Birth of an Icon
We have to talk about Delon. Before this, he was mostly just a pretty face. Visconti saw something deeper—a kind of melancholy that bordered on the divine. In Rocco and His Brothers, Delon carries the weight of the world on his shoulders.
His performance is quiet. It’s all in the eyes. When he’s in the ring, he’s not fighting the other guy; he’s fighting his own soul. It’s a stark contrast to Renato Salvatori’s Simone, who is all sweat and animal rage. Fun fact: Salvatori and Annie Girardot actually fell in love and got married in real life after this film. Their chemistry on screen is terrifyingly real because, well, it was.
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Real Talk: Is It Too Long?
Yeah, it’s long. It’s a commitment. But it’s a commitment that pays off because Visconti takes the time to let the characters breathe. You don't just see Simone become a monster; you see the gradual erosion of his spirit. You don't just see Rocco become a champion; you see the physical toll it takes on him.
If you like The Godfather, you owe it to yourself to watch this. Francis Ford Coppola has cited Visconti as a major influence, and you can see the DNA of the Corleone family in the Parondis. It’s that same sense of family as both a fortress and a prison.
Key Takeaways for the Modern Viewer
- Social Realism vs. Melodrama: It blends the two perfectly. It’s gritty but also deeply emotional.
- The Score: Nino Rota (who also did The Godfather) wrote the music. It’s haunting and stays with you for days.
- Cultural Context: It’s the bridge between Neorealism (think Bicycle Thieves) and the more stylized European cinema of the 60s.
How to Watch It Today
Don't watch a low-res version on a random streaming site. This film needs the restoration. The Criterion Collection has a 4K restoration that is absolutely stunning. You need to see the sweat on the boxers' skin and the fog on the Milanese streets in high definition.
If you're going to dive in, do it on a rainy Sunday. Give it your full attention. Turn off your phone. This isn't background noise. It’s a visceral experience that demands you feel every bit of its 177-minute runtime.
When the credits finally roll, you won’t feel "happy." That’s not what Visconti wanted. You’ll feel exhausted, maybe a little heartbroken, but you’ll also feel like you’ve actually seen something. You’ve seen the truth about how hard it is to stay "good" when the world is trying to break you.
Actionable Insights for Cinephiles
- Watch for the symbolism of the "laundry": The way the brothers handle their clothes and space changes as they become more "civilized" and more distant.
- Compare the ending to The Leopard: Another Visconti masterpiece. While The Leopard deals with the aristocracy, Rocco deals with the working class. They are two sides of the same coin.
- Research the filming locations: Many of the gyms and streets in Milan used in the film still look remarkably similar, though the "grittiness" has been replaced by high-end fashion boutiques.
The film is a reminder that some stories are universal. The struggle of the immigrant, the burden of family, and the price of success haven't changed much since 1960. Rocco and His Brothers isn't just a movie; it's a mirror.
Next Steps: Locate the 4K restoration of Rocco and His Brothers on a dedicated cinema platform like Criterion Channel or Mubi. After watching, compare the depiction of Milan to the cinematography in Michelangelo Antonioni’s La Notte, filmed around the same time, to see how two different masters captured the soul of the same city.