It's one of the Tavianis' best.

Within the first 15 minutes it's clear the Tavianis have sadly turned a work of literary depth into more of a middle-brow romance novel with a standard historical setting.

At once a summing-up of the Tavianis' filmmaking and an affirmation of their unshaken belief that human life is an uneasy compromise between the private and political spheres.

Viewers can be forgiven for wondering if these longhaired partigiani are actually from rival grunge bands. Still, the brief movie's last 10 minutes finally jolt to life in an action sequence that makes things matter again.