| Mondo Cane | |
|---|---|
 Original theatrical poster | |
| Directed by |
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| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Narrated by | Stefano Sibaldi |
| Cinematography |
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| Edited by | Gualtiero Jacopetti |
| Music by | |
| Distributed by | Cineriz |
Release date |
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Running time | 108 minutes |
| Country | Italy |
| Language | Italian |
| Box office | $2 million (US/CAN rentals)[1] |
Mondo Cane (a somewhat coarse Italian expletive,[2] literally 'dog world') is a 1962 Italian mondo documentary film and directed by the trio of Gualtiero Jacopetti, Paolo Cavara, and Franco E. Prosperi, with narration by Stefano Sibaldi. The film consists of a series of travelogue scenes that provide glimpses into cultural practices around the world with the intention to shock or surprise Western film audiences.[3] These scenes are presented with little continuity, as they are intended as a kaleidoscopic display of shocking content rather than presenting a structured argument. Despite its claims of genuine documentation, certain scenes are either staged or creatively manipulated to enhance this effect.[4]
The film was an international box-office success and inspired an entire genre of mondo films in the form of exploitation documentaries, many of which also include the word mondo (meaning "world") in their title. The musical score by Riz Ortolani and Nino Oliviero gained considerable popularity outside of the film itself. Its main theme, "More", won a Grammy Award and earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song, and was covered by such artists as Frank Sinatra, Andy Williams, Roy Orbison, and Vince Guaraldi.
- ^ "Top Rental Features of 1963", Variety, 8 January 1964 p 71. Please note figures are rentals as opposed to total gross.
- ^ "cane¹ in Vocabolario - Treccani". Treccani, il portale del sapere - Treccani (in Italian). 13 December 2023. Archived from the original on 12 October 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
- ^ Goodall, Sweet & Savage, 22.
- ^ Kerekes and Slater, Killing for Culture, 113–114.