A nurse who saves him during a relapse of his illness and eventually becomes his lover, helping him find a new, albeit controversial, reason to live. Production and Critical Reception
The 1981 film La disubbidienza (also known as Disobedience ) currently holds a weighted average rating of on IMDb based on over 450 user votes.
However, when the war ends, Luca is met with a bitter disappointment. He sees the same hypocrisy and conformism in the adults around him—his parents, once fascist sympathizers, now court the Americans with the same fervor they once showed the Nazis. This disillusionment leads Luca to a drastic decision: he chooses to let himself die, falling into a state of physical and emotional paralysis.
So, does "La disubbidienza" deserve its "IMDb top"? The question is misleading. For the average viewer seeking entertainment, the film's low rating and structural problems make it a difficult recommendation. However, for the cinephile, Moravia enthusiast, or student of Italian film history, "La disubbidienza" is an unmissable artifact.
Director Aldo Lado, best known for tense thrillers like Who Saw Her Die? , elevates the material far beyond standard exploitation cinema. He captures the claustrophobia of wartime Italy and the internal torment of youth. The film's atmosphere is heavily enhanced by a haunting, melancholic score by legendary composer Ennio Morricone. On IMDb, films featuring Morricone scores automatically attract a dedicated global audience, boosting its visibility in technical and musical forums. 3. The Alberto Moravia Connection la disubbidienza 1981 imdb top
Moravia’s novel—and Lado’s adaptation—explores the internal rebellion of Luca, a teenage boy returning home from a religious boarding school to his wealthy, bourgeois family. In 1981, adapting Moravia was a dangerous game; his work was synonymous with intellectual rigor, psychological complexity, and brutal critiques of Italian society. Aldo Lado, known for gialli ( Who Saw Her Die? ) and poliziotteschi, surprised everyone by delivering a sensitive, almost Bergman-esque character study.
Set in Northern Italy during and after the fascist rule of the Republic of Salò, the story follows Luca Manzi
Desire and Death in Fascist Italy 🎬🇮🇹
With La disubbidienza , Lado made a deliberate departure from his usual genres. The film, based on Alberto Moravia's 1948 novel, represented an attempt at serious literary adaptation and social commentary. As one critic noted, "Aldo Lado, perhaps better known for a very original giallo made ten years earlier, crafts a suggestive, delicate product, but in the end little more than elegant". This shift from horror to drama was not entirely successful in the eyes of many reviewers, but it demonstrated Lado's willingness to explore challenging material. A nurse who saves him during a relapse
A boy’s passage into manhood, set against the collapse of an ideology.
The film features a notable technical pedigree, including a score by the legendary and cinematography by Dante Spinotti . Despite these high-profile contributors, the movie holds a modest 5.0/10 rating on IMDb , based on weighted user reviews.
La Disubbidienza (1981) is a masterclass in Italian psychological drama. 🇮🇹
La disubbidienza is a film of contrasts: a prestigious literary adaptation with a stellar cast and crew that ultimately fails to cohere into a satisfying whole. Its low IMDb rating of 5.2/10 accurately reflects the consensus that it is a flawed film. While its beautiful Ennio Morricone score and Dante Spinotti cinematography are highlights, the unconvincing central performance and meandering plot prevent it from being a forgotten classic. For fans of Italian cinema, Alberto Moravia adaptations, or those looking to explore the less-celebrated corners of 1980s European film, La disubbidienza offers an interesting, if not entirely successful, viewing experience. He sees the same hypocrisy and conformism in
If you were to browse the "Top Rated Movies" on IMDb, you would find the usual suspects: The Shawshank Redemption , The Godfather , and 12 Angry Men . But cinema is an ocean, and some of its most fascinating treasures aren't floating on the surface. They are buried in the archives, waiting for curious viewers to dig them up.
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Co-written by Barbara Alberti and Amedeo Pagani, the screenplay stays deeply loyal to Alberto Moravia’s literary themes. The "disobedience" in the title is not merely teenage rebellion. It is an intentional, philosophical rejection of a corrupt adult society that changes its political flags solely to protect its financial wealth. 2. Sexuality as Political and Spiritual Salvation La disubbidienza (1981) - IMDb