Open Doors () is a 1990 Italian film directed by Gianni Amelio. Set in Palermo in the 1930s, a judge who is morally against the death penalty is confronted with the case of a man who has murdered his wife and two colleagues in cold blood. Opposed by both the fascist government - endorsing death penalty since it allows people to be safe to the point of "sleeping at night with open doors" - and public opinion, he struggles to do what he believes is right. Based on a 1987 novel, "Porte Aperte", by Leonardo Sciascia. The film was selected as the Italian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 63rd Academy Awards.
Plot
The film opens with a Fascist bureaucrat, recently fired, killing the man who fired him, the man who replaced him, and his wife.
Cast
Gian Maria Volonté as Judge Vito di Francesco
Ennio Fantastichini as Tommasco Scalia
Renato Carpentieri as Consolo
Tuccio Musumeci as Spatafora
Silverio Blasi as Attorney
Vitalba Andrea as Rosa Scalia
Giacomo Piperno as Prosecutor
Lydia Alfonsi as Marchesa Anna Pironti
Renzo Giovampietro as President Sanna
Awards
Won
1991 David di Donatello: Best Actor - Gian Maria Volonté Best Costume Design - Gianna Gissi Best Film Best Sound - Remo Ugolinelli 3rd European Film Awards: Best Cinematography Best Film Discovery of the Year Award - Ennio Fantastichini Italian Golden Globes: Best Actor - Gian Maria Volonté Best Film Best Screenplay Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists Best Director Best Supporting Actor - Ennio Fantastichini Montpellier Mediterranean Film Festival Critics Award - Gianni Amelio Golden Antigone - Gianni Amelio
Nominated
63rd Academy Awards: Best Foreign Language Film 1991 David di Donatello: Best Cinematography - Tonino Nardi Best Director - Gianni Amelio Best Editing - Simona Paggi Best Producer - Angelo Rizzoli Jr. Best Production Design - Amedeo Fago, Franco Velchi Best Screenplay - Gianni Amelio, Vincenzo Cerami Best Supporting Actor - Ennio Fantastichini 3rd European Film Awards: Special Prize of the Jury - Gian Maria Volonté Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists Best Actor - Gian Maria Volonté Best Screenplay
See also
List of submissions to the 63rd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
List of Italian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
References
External links
1990 films
1990 drama films
Courtroom films
Films about capital punishment
Films based on Italian novels
European Film Awards winners (films) Films based on works by Leonardo Sciascia Films directed by Gianni Amelio Films set in Sicily Films set in the 1930s Italian drama films 1990s Italian-language films Films with screenplays by Vincenzo Cerami 1990s Italian films
