Watch
Criterion Channel
Hands Over the City

Hands Over the City

1963
Drama
1h 41m
A corrupt city councilman seeks a huge profit in a suburban real estate deal. Nottola (Rod Steiger) manipulates corrupt local government officials in the political instability that plagues Italy following World War II. The only councilman who tries to block the shady deals in defense of the people is the lone Communist elected to the board. The only insight on the characters is shown by the political machinations undertaken and the final result of the new zoning laws that followed the tangle of secret deals, bribes and blackmail... (All Movie Guide)
Your probable score
?

Hands Over the City

1963
Drama
1h 41m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 71.09% from 143 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(142)
Compact view
Compact view
Rated 09 Sep 2013
83
93rd
Blatantly leftist in its political bias, and in fact, virtually a work of propaganda. However, Hands Over the City far exceeds most polemical political dramas its level of realism. The writing, directing and acting are all masterful, with an overdubbed Rod Steiger delivering perhaps the greatest performance of his career as the corrupt Nottola, and the result easily meets the high standard set by Rosi's previous masterpiece, "Salvatore Giuliano".
Rated 04 Mar 2011
83
77th
Although this film is less exciting than its predecessor (Salvatore Giuliano), it has the advantage of being easier to follow. It focuses on a few key individuals and keeps the political machinations fairly simple. What could be a rather tedious series of discussions is livened up with heated dialogue, dramatic camerawork, and terrific set design. The early sequence of a building collapsing is heart-pounding. Political dramas are rarely my cup of tea, but Rosi keeps it very fresh and engaging.
Rated 13 Sep 2015
83
72nd
Full of great scenes and the overall arc is strong, but it at times gets a bit bogged down with the minutia of politicking.
Rated 05 Nov 2013
82
88th
A brilliant film giving a splendid vision of what goes on behind the scenes of the politics we see in the media. It just stops, at the end, which seems a bit disappointing, but captures reality very well.
Rated 10 Jan 2015
91
89th
Em honra de Francesco Rosi.
Rated 22 Jan 2011
30
78th
"For the most part, however, the film remains rigorous in its refusal to draw tidy conclusions." - Fernando F. Croce
Rated 26 Jun 2014
85
59th
A blistering work of social criticism that attacks the corruption of local government officials in Naples. Using dramatic camerawork to capture tense political discussions, and featuring a raw lead performance from Rod Steiger, Hands Over the City is an engaging piece of political cinema.
Rated 25 Oct 2021
91
95th
How relevant even today! Not much has truly changed since this was shot, it's probably even worse than ever as these small acts of immorality and corruption add up over decades. Italian neorealism is slowly becoming my favorite genre, and I've got to get hands on more Francesco Rosi films. This is cinema at its best - a loud critique of those using all of us for their own benefit. These hands are clean! Clean!

Collections

(9)
Compact view
Showing 1 - 9 of 9 results

Similar Titles

Loading ...

Statistics

Loading ...