Rent Christ Stopped at Eboli (1979)

not the full version - Christ Stopped at Eboli review by GL

This is the original European cinema release version, running at 2 hours 20 not the full 4 hour TV version previously released on video by Artificial Eye (and not 3 hours 20 as listed above). It's also a very poor transfer, grainy and overexposed like a bad ntsc to pal conversion. The film is excellent but with the recent screenings (April 2019) of a restored version maybe better to wait for that to come out instead.

The land the world forgot - Christ Stopped at Eboli review by VM

This film based on carlo levis book of the same name deals well with the dilemma of portraying poverty whilst not over victimising the characters. It is a wonderful portrayal of peoples lives in all their complexity in pre war southern Italy. The main character is brilliantly performed.

Exile on Footpath - Christ Stopped at Eboli review by Steve

Long intelligent biopic about Carlo Levi, a dissident painter/writer who was exiled by Benito Mussolini in 1935-36 to a feudal backwater in southern Italy, isolated from the more prosperous north. While assisting the peasant workers as their doctor he identifies the reasons for their political indifference.

So there is some extended political chat. But it's as much about the social history of the rural south, including their superstitions and the burden of corruption. There is an overwhelming impression of poverty, though ironically this is Matera and now the whole region is a UNESCO World Heritage Site!

Today the hovels carved out of rock sell for millions of euros...  Gian Maria Volontè- from the Dollars films!- is impassive as the political exile, but has a quiet charisma, while Irene Papas lifts the second half as his lively maid and the mother of innumerable children. And Levi's stray dog is adorable!

The title implies history only ever gets as far as the towns and the rural poor always remain left behind. For anyone with an interest in politics between the wars, this is fascinating. I suppose it isn't authentic neorealism but Francesco Rosi directs with a similar approach, and this is his masterpiece.

*note, the dvd is 150m which suggests it is the cinema release, not the 220m tv version, or 200m as advertised above... So the aspect should be in 1.66 (according to IMDB) but the dvd is in 1.37 which suggests it's the tv copy. I'm not going to guess why, because I don't know....