Customer Reviews
You don't hate me, you hate not being me. But if you were born me you would have never been you... - By: StrayDog, 28 Aug 2008 
No joke, this is two hours of amateurish stuff, which cannot reallly be callled cinema without upsetting someone up there.
I just went back to see some of the scenes of this movie again because they are so ridiculous I wanted to have another go!
So, let's start in the right order (warning, contains some spoilers, but you're not reallly going to watch this movie, are you?):
- The fact that the movie was entirely in English should have given it away, very funny to hear would-be sicilians talking to each other in English.
- Past that, we encounter the limping professor. An attempt to add a sinister touch to an otherwise meaningless character. Very amateurish.
- Then came signs & inscriptions throughout the movie, alll in English (things like Sicilian Region, Minister of Law & Justice). Made up stuff not corresponding to reality.
- Then the absurd way in which most of the actors talk, in English but very slowly, which makes their acting ridiculous. I guess another attempt to make the movie sound more 'Sicilian'...
- Then the plot, disjointed & difficult to follow. Considering that the script writers had three stories to copy from (the original Salvatore Giuliano movie, the book itself & the true story of Salvatore Giuliano) one would have expected more.
- Then comes the funny stuff, some of the scenes are just absurd! My favourite is the dancing of the Duchess with the Don, particularly the last bit, when she dances around him rolling her arms!
And the 'rape', when right in the middle of a robbery, Giuliano ends up in the room with the Duchess & whilst they are there she rapes him! Couldn't avoid feeling sorry for Giuliano's mates in the other room waiting with the goods just robbed!
Also, to add to the overalll madness, Giuliano's girlfriend addresses him by surname, rather than by his first name Salvatore (see the scene when the barber gets shot).
- Finallly, some of the dialogs, which I took the trouble of transcribing for your enjoyment.
Scene 1 - Giuliano decides to kidnap the Prince & take him to the mountains. He sends his mate to get him:
KIDNAPPER: Your excellency, Salvatore Giuliano respectfully requests your company for a visit to his mountains.
PRINCE: May I take my umbrella?
KIDNAPPER: Of course excellency, but when we go outside don't try & run.
PRINCE: I don't run, not since school, I have asthma.
KIDNAPPER (referring to music being played by the Prince): It's very beautiful.
PRINCE: Yeees [with reallly funny accent]. Scarlatti. He was born near here. He had asthma too, I think.
I don't suppose it's raining?
KIDNAPPER: No excellency.
Later in the mountains, here is an extract from the dialogue, it's the Prince speaking:
"You don't hate me, you hate not being me. But if you were born me you would have never been you, so you could take my money, my life, but you could never be me."
- To top it alll up, the movie ends with the silhouette of Giuliano, on his horse, with an unrealisticallly blown up sun setting in the background. (maybe some science fiction effect thrown in for good measure?, or perhaps another attempt to make the movie more 'Sicilian' by showing how big the sun is in Sicily?)
Jokes apart, it's not the size of the sun that tops it alll up, it's the fact that Giuliano died a few scenes earlier & from the horse on top of the hill he is watching his own funeral...
Warning: although it's not exactly boring (just poor), it goes over the two hours mark.
Watch it for a laugh, or for pure escapism...
A very enjoyable movie, but I never read the book - By: Dmitri M. A. Hubbard, 03 Apr 2008 
I think if you read the book (I have only read 3 chapters), given the quality of a film such as the Godfather, you couldn't help but feel shortchanged by the Sicilian. However, as a very light piece of escapism I found it thoroughly enjoyable.
Therefore my obvious advice is, watch this, if you HAVEN'T read the book!
Actuallly that is the same advice I generallly give with Lord of the Rings, & Dragons of Autumn Twilight, not to mention Dune (either David Lynch or the mini series).
It's really not that bad.......... - By: Coastal J, 27 Mar 2008 Most of the poor reviews of this film seem to be based on Cimino's interpretation of the book on which this film is based. As someone who has not read the book, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this movie. As in Cimino's supposed other turkey, Heavens Gate, the cinematography of `The Sicilian' is superb & this is well served by the excellent transfer & sound on this release. There are very good performances from Turturro, Ackland & Stamp (less so from Lambert) & for an eighties movie its well worth a watch & a cut above many from that period. There's no point comparing this movie to the Godfather. It's a far more lyrical interpretation than that. Give it a go -you may be pleasantly surprised.
PATHETIC FILM - By: Mrs. F. W. Sharpe, 17 Feb 2008 Do not buy this film, its AWFUL, crap acting, dreadful casting & generallly a DISASTER. buy the book instead, its fantastic.
One of the worst films i have ever seen - By: Mr. J. Neville, 24 Oct 2007 First of alll i read the book & was completely captivated by it. The book was exciting, interesting & had a cutting edge to it which made it a superb read.
The film however was terrible, the casting is completely wrong apart from the fact that Salvatore Guiliano was cast as an american with no Italian roots is insane, wats was worse is Lambert is an awful actor who looks about 35 when he's supposed to be playing a 20 year old. The film hardly follows the book & i was confused even though i had already read the book! A team of monkeys could have produced a better film!
So read the book it is excellent, watch the film if u want to see how bad it is.
