An Italian 1950s crime film set in Naples with Italian subtitles. The film sets out to tell the true story of how a mafia man came to dominate the vegetable market in post war Naples. We have all the aspects we expect from a mobster film, the climb to the top and all the others he must battle along the way to get there. The film appears to have been shot in Naples and does a good job of conveying the dusty and cracked streets and the sense of danger lurking around the corner. The film is a kind of love story too of sorts, but not one with too much tenderness or romance as you'll see. The film is very well acted but I couldn't really take away from it that much from it.

José Suárez has a good racket smuggling American cigarettes into Naples, but he's ambitious. He heads to the country, to become a broker for farm produce. That trade, however, is controlled by the Camorra. He comes to an understanding with them, but that puts him in their pocket. On his wedding day with Rosanna Schiaffino, they squeeze.

It's a dark and stormy movie by Francesco Rosi about the intersection between ambition, business, beautifully written and performed. Suárez offers a dynamite performance in a role that is simple in its motivation, but complex in its performance.