Excellent Cadavers
Encyclopedia
Excellent Cadavers is a 1995
non-fiction
book
by American author Alexander Stille
about the Sicilian Mafia, concentrating on magistrate
Giovanni Falcone
's fight against the Mafia
and his 1992
assassination
.
The name of the book comes from the phrase "excellent cadavers" (cadaveri eccellenti) or "illustrious corpses", used in Italy when referring to high-profile victims of the Mafia such as politicians, judges and police chiefs (as opposed to less public victims claimed by day-to-day Mafia business). A fictional movie bearing the title Cadaveri Eccellenti
(Illustrious Corpses in English) was made in Italy
in 1975
, directed by Francesco Rosi
and starring Lino Ventura
.
Stille's 1995 book Excellent Cadavers was made into a television movie in 1999
, starring Chazz Palminteri
as Giovanni Falcone and F. Murray Abraham
as informant Tommaso Buscetta
.
In 2005, a documentary of the same name was released in the US, directed by Marco Turco
. Produced in Italy, where the work is known as In un altro paese, the documentary is based on, and to some extent updates, Stille's book. Stille, one of the script writer
s, serves as narrator and tour guide on the scenes of crimes and explains their causes and consequences. Letizia Battaglia
, a photojournalist and anti-Mafia activist, plays the role of survivor and passionate eyewitness.
1995 in organized crime
See also:1994 in organized crime,other events of 1995,1996 in organized crime and thelist of 'years in Organized Crime'.-----Arts and literature:*American Tabloid by James Ellroy*Excellent Cadavers by Alexander Stille...
non-fiction
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
by American author Alexander Stille
Alexander Stille
Alexander Stille is an American author and journalist. He is the son of Ugo Stille, a well-known Italian journalist and a former editor of Italy's Milan-based Corriere della Sera newspaper. Alexander Stille graduated from Yale and later the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism...
about the Sicilian Mafia, concentrating on magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
Giovanni Falcone
Giovanni Falcone
Giovanni Falcone was an Sicilian/Italian prosecuting magistrate born in Palermo, Sicily. From his office in the Palace of Justice in Palermo, he spent most of his professional life trying to overthrow the power of the Mafia in Sicily...
's fight against the Mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
and his 1992
1992 in organized crime
See also:1991 in organized crime,other events of 1992,1993 in organized crime and thelist of 'years in Organized Crime'.-----Events:*Massachusetts mafia captain Vincent M...
assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
.
The name of the book comes from the phrase "excellent cadavers" (cadaveri eccellenti) or "illustrious corpses", used in Italy when referring to high-profile victims of the Mafia such as politicians, judges and police chiefs (as opposed to less public victims claimed by day-to-day Mafia business). A fictional movie bearing the title Cadaveri Eccellenti
Illustrious Corpses
Illustrious Corpses is a 1976 thriller film directed by Francesco Rosi and starring Lino Ventura. The film was screened at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival, but was not entered into the main competition...
(Illustrious Corpses in English) was made in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in 1975
1975 in film
The year 1975 in film involved some significant events, with Steven Spielberg's thriller Jaws topping the box office.-Events:*March 26 - The film version of The Who's Tommy premieres in London....
, directed by Francesco Rosi
Francesco Rosi
Francesco Rosi is an Italian film director. He is the father of actress Carolina Rosi.-Biography:After studying Law, but hoping to study film, Rosi entered the industry as an assistant to Luchino Visconti on La Terra trema...
and starring Lino Ventura
Lino Ventura
Lino Ventura , was an Italian actor who starred in French movies.-Biography:Born as Angiolino Giuseppe Pasquale Ventura in Parma, Italy to Giovanni Ventura and Luisa Borrini, "Lino" dropped out of school at the age of eight and later took on a variety of jobs...
.
Stille's 1995 book Excellent Cadavers was made into a television movie in 1999
1999 in film
The year 1999 in film involved several noteworthy events and has been called "The Year That Changed Movies". Several significant feature films, including Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, science fiction The Matrix, Deep...
, starring Chazz Palminteri
Chazz Palminteri
Calogero Lorenzo "Chazz" Palminteri is an American actor and writer, best known for his performances in The Usual Suspects, A Bronx Tale, and his Academy Award nominated role for Best Supporting Actor in Bullets Over Broadway....
as Giovanni Falcone and F. Murray Abraham
F. Murray Abraham
Fahrid Murray Abraham is an American actor. He became known during the 1980s after winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Antonio Salieri in Amadeus. He has appeared in many roles, both leading and supporting, in films such as All the President's Men and Scarface...
as informant Tommaso Buscetta
Tommaso Buscetta
Tommaso Buscetta was a Sicilian mafioso. Although he was not the first pentito in the Italian witness protection program, he is widely recognized as the first important one breaking omertà...
.
In 2005, a documentary of the same name was released in the US, directed by Marco Turco
Marco Turco
-Life and career:Turco holds degrees in History and Philosophy. He studied under Ugo Pirro, Leonardo Benvenuti and Robert McKee at Aldo Giuffrè's drama school. Turco also wrote for L'Unità and Movie magazine....
. Produced in Italy, where the work is known as In un altro paese, the documentary is based on, and to some extent updates, Stille's book. Stille, one of the script writer
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
s, serves as narrator and tour guide on the scenes of crimes and explains their causes and consequences. Letizia Battaglia
Letizia Battaglia
Letizia Battaglia is a Sicilian photographer and photojournalist. Although her photos document a wide spectrum of Sicilian life, she is best known for her work on the Mafia.-Biography:...
, a photojournalist and anti-Mafia activist, plays the role of survivor and passionate eyewitness.