SLAP THE MONSTER ON PAGE ONE (1972)
aka Sbatti il mostro in prima pagina
Label: Radiance Films
Region Code: A,B
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 87 Minutes 15 Seconds
Audio: Italian 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1)
Director: Marco Bellocchio
Cast: Gian Maria Volonte, Laura Betti, Fabio Garriba, Carla Tatò, Jacques Herlin, John Steiner, Michel Bardinet, Jean Rougeul, Corrado Solari, Enrico DiMarco, Silvia Kramar, Massimo Patrone, Gianni Solaro, Luigi Antonio Guerra, Gérard Boucaron
The Italian socio-political thriller Slap the Monster on Page One (1972) takes place during the tumultuous Years of Lead. a period of time in Italy when political violence and social upheaval was marked by rioting. domestic terrorism and mass social unrest. The film starts with newsreel footage documenting that unrest, there are riots in the streets, clashes between the police and protesters, terrorist attacks, and far right political gatherings. This gives way to far-left protesters protesters throwing Molotov cocktails into the offices of conservative daily newspaper Il Giornale (The Journal), setting the general tone for the film, which makes sure to see how the conservative paper uses the incident to gain sympathy from it's readers with sensational headlines and slanted truths. One such headline is that of a young girl Maria (Silvia Kramar) who is found raped and murdered, Giancarlo Bizanti (Gian Maria Volonté, A Bullet for the General), the editor of the newspaper uses the story as propaganda to help support the conservative candidate Montelli (John Steiner, The Case Is Closed, Forget It) that his not-so-subtley paper supports. They paper runs headlines calling for the death penalty and placing the blame on a far-left radical student Mario (Carrado Solari) a former boyfriend, distorting the truth and turning the students jilted ex-lover Rita (Laura Betti, A Bay of Blood) against him to make the facts of the story fit the false murder rap they;ve put upon him.
Bizanti later argues with an idealistic rookie reporter named Roveda (Fabio Garriba, La cosa buffa) who insists that the news should be reported factually and without a bias, a statement that enrages Bizanti, who tells the reporter that his views are naive, and that this murder is merely a symptom of a larger problem of the day, and that it is their duty to mold public opinion on matters of the day, not merely report on it. A very telling scene occurs earlier when Bizanti sends Roveda to a radical left meeting to report on it, knowing full well that the report's affiliation with the conservative newspaper will get him into a scuffle, though the reporter is quite oblivious to this. Bizanti is so sure that this will happen that they have already prefabricated a headline about the incident in advance, and is totally crestfallen when the incident never occurs.
It's an intriguing film worthy of study as it relates directly to contemporary media manipulation and how truths are distorted to create false narratives and ill-informed public outcry, it's rather fascinating, and utterly cynical in it's execution. This view is further cemented when Bizanti later discovers for certain that the leftist student is indeed innocent, but it changes absolutely nothing, they continue publishing their false narratives, unconcerned about truth, insofar as it helps support their conservative cause. The final shot of the film is ripe with poignant symbolism, as the rising tide coming in from the ocean washes garbage and filth into the canals of the city, 'nuff said.
Audio/Video: Slap the Monster on Page One (1972) makes it;s worldwide Blu-ray debut on a region A,B locked Blu-ray from Radiance Films. Offering a 4K restoration of the film from the original negative by Cineteca di Bologna in collaboration with Surf Film and Kavac Film, under the supervision of director Marco Bellocchio, presented here in 1080p HD framed in 1.85:1 widescreen. The source looks clean, grain appears organic is is nicely resolved, and colors and skin tones look accurate, with adequate black levels. The disc is also well-authored with no noticable compression issues. Audio comes by way of Italian PCM 2.0 dual-mono with newly improved English subtitles. The post-dubbed dialogue and atmospherics well-balanced, the track is clean, and the score by Nicola Piovani (Flavia the Heretic, The Perfume of the Lady in Black) sounds terrific.
Extras include a 20-min Archival interview with Marco Bellocchio, a 25-min Newly filmed interview with critic and author Mario Sesti (2024); and a new 10-min Appreciation by filmmaker Alex Cox (2024). The single-disc release arrives in a clear full-height Scanavo keepcase with a Reversible Sleeve of Artwork featuring illustrated designs based on original posters. We also get Radiance's signature Removable OBI Strip which leaves packaging free of certificates and markings if you so wish. With this initial Limited Edition (of 3000) pressing we also get a 20-Page Illustrated Booklet featuring new writing by Wesley Sharer, plus notes about the cast, crew, transfer, and release credits.
Special Features:
- 4K restoration of the film from the original negative by Cineteca di Bologna in collaboration with Surf Film and Kavac Film, under the supervision of director Marco Bellocchio
- Archival interview with Marco Bellocchio (19:39)
- NEW! Interview with critic and author Mario Sesti (2024) (24:47)
- NEW! Appreciation by filmmaker Alex Cox (2024) (9:53)
- Reversible sleeve featuring designs based on original posters
- Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by Wesley Sharer
- Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings
Screenshots from the Radiance Films Blu-ray:
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