Drama,Crime,Thriller,History
Italy,Germany,France,Brazil
The Traitor is a biographical crime drama film directed by Marco Bellocchio and written by Bellocchio and Valia Santella. The film tells the true story of Tommaso Buscetta, a high-ranking member of the Sicilian Mafia who turned informant for the Italian government and testified against his former colleagues.
The movie opens in Palermo, Sicily, in 1980, amidst the escalating violence of the Mafia wars that had been raging for years. Tommaso, played by Pierfrancesco Favino, decides to move with his family to Brazil, hoping to escape the constant danger and death threats from rival clans.
In Brazil, Tommaso tries to settle into a quiet life, but he is soon arrested by the Brazilian police and extradited to Italy on drug charges. Back in Sicily, Tommaso faces a tough decision – either to stay loyal to the Mafia and face imprisonment, or to cooperate with the authorities and become a traitor to his former comrades.
Tommaso chooses the latter and becomes the first high-level Mafia member to break the code of silence, or omerta. He testifies against some of the most powerful bosses of Cosa Nostra, including the infamous Toto Riina, and provides critical information that leads to their conviction and imprisonment.
The Traitor covers a span of over a decade and shows Tommaso's harrowing journey from a ruthless mobster to a repentant informant, who carries the burden of betraying his former friends and colleagues. The film also highlights the corruption and complicity of the Italian government and police in the Mafia's criminal activities.
The Traitor premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019 and received critical acclaim for its nuanced portrayal of one of the most significant turning points in the history of the Sicilian Mafia. The film was Italy's official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 92nd Academy Awards.
