Talk:Macaroni (film)

Italian version is much more detailed, and emotional

The English version of this article about an incredibly beautiful film, with two of the world's greatest-ever actors, strikes me as awfully brief, flat and superficial. I could provide an English translation of the far more detailed and emotional Italian version, but I have no idea what to do with it, or how to get it published. Perhaps I'll just produce a translation, put it on this talk page, and see what happens.188.230.240.75 (talk) 18:29, 24 September 2017 (UTC)

And here's the translation of the Italian version of the article:

"Maccheroni (‘Macaroni’) is a 1985 film produced by director Ettore Scola.

Plot

Robert Traven, manager of a famous American aviation company, returns to Naples from the United States for work after many years away. During his stay in Naples years before, Robert had had an affair with a young local woman, Maria Jasiello. Her older brother Antonio now comes to see him in the hotel room where he is staying.

Antonio, an ordinary employee of the historical archives at the Bank of Naples, had recognised him during a TV interview and had rushed to the hotel to make contact again after forty years. But Robert does not recognise him, partly because he has a terrible headache, and also because he has completely forgotten everything that had happened in the past. The two end up swearing at each other, and Antonio leaves, disappointed and offended.

Having come back to his senses, a curious Robert retraces Antonio and begins to establish a more cordial relationship with him, thus reconstructing his past youth. Antonio takes him to see his sister Maria; now elderly, she is married, a mother and also a grandmother.

Her whole family receive the American as a true guest of honour; and Robert learns that over the past forty or more years Antonio has written numerous letters to his sister, but adding Robert’s signature to convince her that he was living an adventurous international life, including experience as a reporter in Vietnam, Chile and other parts of the world.

During his three-day stay in Naples, Robert is completely overwhelmed by the friendship, kindness and admiration he is shown by everyone, and at the same time becomes aware of the sterility of his own life, which is entirely devoted to work. But he now receives news from home that some of his colleagues are trying to taking advantage of his absence to prevent his appointment to a major post in his company.

So Robert has to return home; he regretfully takes his leave of his friend and his family – but just as he is about to board the plane he learns that Antonio has mysteriously disappeared. Abandoning the flight, Robert gets back into his car and sets out to look for his friend in the city. After talking to Antonio’s wife, he discovers that Antonio is desperately trying to gather five million lire in order to save his own son Giulio, who is threatened by criminals.

Robert decides to intervene personally; he gets in touch with some of the son’s friends, eventually finding him after he had hidden to escape from the criminals, and brings him back home. He then goes off in search of Antonio, and catches up with him during a meeting with the criminals. Antonio is in danger; he hasn’t managed to collect the full amount but only a small part of it, and is trying to reach an impossible agreement to delay the payment of what is owed; but one of the criminals has just pulled a gun and is about to shoot him. With some difficulty Robert saves him at the last minute by paying the money out of his own pocket.

Antonio, who simply wanted to protect his son, is moved by Robert’s generosity, which had even involved risking his life for him; but his heart cannot withstand the emotion and, already struck on the head by one of the criminals during an altercation, he suddenly dies there on the beach.

A few hours later the shocked American goes to the Jasiello home, where the whole family are about to eat, with Antonio’s body laid out in the neighbouring room. The plates of macaroni are steaming on the table, but everyone is silently watching the clock on the wall – because Antonio had twice been assumed dead and then, at 1 p.m. exactly, had mysteriously come back to life while everyone was eating."188.230.240.75 (talk) 19:16, 24 September 2017 (UTC)