ScoobyMint Disappointment for a huge fan!

Glucedee It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Abegail Noëlle While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

runamokprods Sober, slow, beautifully photographed study of a murder trial in 1930s fascist Italy. The accused is clearly guilty, but one judge, opposed to the death penalty, is determined to understand the man and his motives rather than join the rush to execute him and be done with it.Some terrific, subtle acting. But the ideas get a bit clunky in the last third – more didactic, less nuanced. And while I enjoyed and admired the film, I wasn't really moved by it. That said, I will certainly re-watch it at some point, and moments have really stuck with me over time.

Claudio Carvalho On 10 March 1937, in Palermo, the clerk Tommaso Scalia (Ennio Fantastichini) that was the scapegoat for embezzlement in the Confederation Building kills with a bayonet his former chief, the lawyer Spadafora Vincenzo (Tuccio Musumeci), and his replacement, the accountant Speciale Antonio. Then he drives his car through a lonely road and rapes and executes his wife with a shot on her head. He goes to trial expecting to receive the capital punishment, but Judge Vito Di Francesco (Gian Maria Volonté) that is against the death penalty finds evidences that the murder has a passionate motive. However, the defendant wants to be executed by the firing squad in an eccentric situation."Porte Aperte" has the intention of discussing the capital punishment, using the Fascist Italy as background and a judge that does not agree with this sentence that serves to politicians but not to the citizens in his opinion. The theme is disclosed in slow pace and using a very unusual situation, with the defendant declaring himself guilty and wishing to be executed by the firing squad. Gian Maria Volonté has a great performance, as usual, but this movie is confused and boring. In Brazil, it was released on VHS by Top Tape Distributor. My vote is five.Title (Brazil): "As Portas da Justiça" ("The Doors of the Justice")

Arca1943 Of course ignorance can be tolerated, but sometimes enough is enough. So I must reply to Mr. ccthemovieman-1, whose comment really goes over the top, as shown in the following quote : « In this movie, people who support the death penalty are called "fascists." Well, I used to be a flaming Left Winger and I remember calling anyone who disagreed with us a "fascist" back in the '60s, so I guess nothing has changed in that regard. » Well, it's because in this Italian film, the action is taking place in 1938 - that is, under the Fascist regime. So "the people who support death penalty" are not CALLED the fascists, they ARE the fascists, the real thing, the genuine article : fascismo (1922-1944). Nothing to do with the blatant ignorance of fascism displayed in the sixties by some American 'Liberal' activist, which by now has become the blatant ignorance of fascism displayed by some American 'Conservative' activist. As is well known, death penalty in Italy was abolished in 1890, reinstalled in 1922 by Mussolini's regime and abolished again in 1946.Now this Gianni Amelio courtroom drama (watch out the SPOILERS are coming) tells us the story of a 1938 magistrate (Gian Maria Volontè) who while not being exactly an antifascist, has always been at odds with the 1922 reenactment of death penalty and is now trying to find some loopholes or small print or mitigating circumstances of any kind to avoid delivering a death penalty verdict at the trial he's presiding - except that the accused is as uncooperative as possible since the guy WANTS to be executed.I shall also add that the Leonardo Sciascia book from which the movie is adapted is based on a true story. A writer with the mentality of an historian, Mr. Sciascia has been digging into old Sicilian trials that took place during the Ventennio (i.e. Fascist era) and found this story. So the movie is also a living page of history. The fascists in the story are called the fascists because they are the fascists.ccthemovieman-1 should stick to watching American movies, period. Anyway, aren't American movies the best ? Of course they are. So why not keep watching them and forget about the rest.

etien55 This film had the tension and intellectual underpinning of a Doestoyevski novel. The cinematography was superb, but the main focus of interest was in the acting, particularly that of the judge and the accused.The tenderness and general humanity of the judge and above all his compassion, is an example for all of us, and it is what each human being should strive to be like. A beautiful, poignant and evocative movie, that makes one think and think hours afterwards about the nature of crime and punishment.