Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

The Wide Blue Road

Play trailer Poster for The Wide Blue Road 1956 1h 40m Drama Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
92% Tomatometer 13 Reviews 77% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
A provincial fisherman (Yves Montand) angers other villagers by using dynamite illegally to expedite his catch.

Critics Reviews

View More
Geoff Pevere Toronto Star 01/25/2002
Although irresistibly "heroic" in appearance and swagger, Montand's Squarcio is also the ultimate in un-Hollywood cowboy thoughtlessness. Go to Full Review
John A. Nesbit Old School Reviews 01/29/2012
B
Anyone who loves De Sirca's works will find this film a fascinating comparative study Go to Full Review
Kelly Vance East Bay Express 05/04/2010
Based on this film's honest, meat-and-potatoes appeal, it would be a treat to see more of Pontecorvo's rare filmography. In the meantime, careful with that dynamite. Go to Full Review
Mark Halverson Sacramento News & Review 08/07/2008
4/5
Gloria Monti culturevulture.net 06/10/2006
Chronicles the struggle of an Italian fisherman, Squarci (Yves Montand), to overcome economic hardships. Go to Full Review
Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com 08/08/2005
4/5
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
12/05/2012 Story of a fisherman who TRIES to make a living in an EASIER way... See more walter m 04/21/2010 [font=Century Gothic]"The Wide Blue Road" takes place in a poor fishing village in Italy. Squarcio(Yves Montand) catches fish the old fashioned way - by using explosives(which is very illegal) while in the company of his young sons. An old friend of his, now in the Coast Guard, is determined to catch him but must do so red handed. Another old friend, Salvatore, abides by the law and fishes by net. He agitates to set up a co-op, so he and his fellow fishermen will no longer be under the thumb of the local merchant.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"The Wide Blue Road" is a good look at people whose lives depend on fishing but is done in somewhat by melodramatics. Overall, the movie says that there is no easy way to escape poverty and we must all work together. It is nowhere in the league of "La Terra Trema" which covers some of the same terrain. But Yves Montand gives a very good performance. [/font] See more 11/26/2009 A certain charm about this little known film from Pontecovo. It might touch the heart strings of any small business man of today who know what it's like to lose your career. See more 07/16/2008 I thought this film was a - Latrine - , because doing a comparison with The Battle of Algiers everything can be worse. I have to say, I was wrong. This movie is different, and similar at the same time. Like a Zola s novel it tries to explain some important social issue. B o A dealt with terrorism (40 years in advance), La Grande Strada Azzurra deals with problems of fishermen and set up of fishing cooperatives (Gillo does some politics, but he is agreeable even in this domain). There is this man, Squarcio who fishes illegally using bombs, because he does not want to die from starvation, he got this big family: 16 y.o. daughter, two little men, and a beautiful wife (Alida Valli). There are the honest fishermen, and there are the Policemen. When the new warrant-officer arrives, after resignation of the old sergeant who felt guilty for the accident where the boyfriend of Diana (the Squarcio daughter) died. Anyway, this guy who said he wanted to marry Diana, was a sort of swanker. Now there is a new Diana Lover, the man that the world knows as Terence Hill, who at the time of the film used his real name Remo Girotti. This guy is good looking and hard worker etc etc Squarcio continues his illegal fishing, exploiting his two sons. Alida Valli (Rosetta) keeps on be worried for her husband. Squarcio starts to have loads of troubles, he is forced to sink his boat, and with it sinks the new motor and loads of debts come. His community strongly disapproves his illegal fishing, his sons too. Like every criminal or every addicted to something he keeps on saying -don not worry, this is my last fishing, then I ll do honestly, first I have to purchase this and this, when I get it I ll change my shady life -. The last day Squarcio is full of doubts, so full of doubts and deep in thought that he makes (by accident) a bomb exploding on him. After all one should expect such a misfortune from a man called like that (Squarciare in Italian means to lacerate, to rip) Then there is the testament where S. appears as the best man in the world. And all the fishing village will be happy in cooperating love. See more 01/22/2008 this is a simple movie, but it simply penetrates your heart. their is nothing awe inspiring about it except the viewer's absolute belief in the reality and integrety characters. truly a brilliant film. See more 01/20/2008 Very nice movie about fishermen's lifes destroied by poor living conditions and police abuses... See more Read all reviews
The Wide Blue Road

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW
Mali Twist 86% % Mali Twist Watchlist Hi Nanna 100% 94% Hi Nanna Watchlist Ash Is Purest White 99% 70% Ash Is Purest White Watchlist TRAILER for Ash Is Purest White May December 91% 65% May December Watchlist TRAILER for May December The Last Wife 100% 94% The Last Wife Watchlist TRAILER for The Last Wife Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis A provincial fisherman (Yves Montand) angers other villagers by using dynamite illegally to expedite his catch.
Director
Gillo Pontecorvo
Screenwriter
Gillo Pontecorvo, Franco Solinas
Genre
Drama, Romance
Original Language
Italian
Box Office (Gross USA)
$6.7K
Runtime
1h 40m