this film will unfortunately not be remember for rod steiger performance . there be very few film that steiger have not dominate this be one of them . it will be remember for the story and the direction and an interesting performance by virna lisi and and a somewhat creditable score by ennio morricone . the director and pasquale festa campanile and one should should recall have write script for and collaborate with great italian director such a pasolini and visconti . i do not know much more about campanile but he must have be very good at write screenplay for visconti to work with him on the leopard which be not an easy novel by any consideration . accord to the opening credit in the english version of the film the girl and the general and the director be one of the two author of the original story a fact miss out by the imdb current detail on the webpage for the film . this be not a war film . it be film that use war a a backdrop to evaluate human value and what money mean to the wretched and the poor . a bumble soldier play convincingly by umberto orsini capture a general and not for heroic and not by design but by mere chance . the soldier be illiterate while the general be an understandably a well read individual . thus the geneva convention and the city that julius caesar build be of little significance to the soldier . yet and what be significant for him be the fact that few general die in the war front and what the soldier be give to drink before they clash with the enemy at the front and meet their death . neorealistic italian cinema use the post war scenario to examine study the human condition . hunger be a great leveller represent the general and soldier be the same when they be hungry . the soldier grudgingly share his food with the general while the general steal a frog catch by the soldier . the writer director clearly state where his sympathy lie . the soldier a an honest individual may appear stupid and but earn the respect of the viewer with his tenacity to come up with great idea of make a general look like a cow to gain a few hour of sleep . his use of the word sir to address his prisoner over the length of the movie be a fine aspect of the character build up by the writer . the film move into top gear with the arrival of the illiterate girl play by virna lisi . for her and too and take the capture general back be simply for the the 1000 lira split between two individual that will allow for a good life . her character be benign and honest and rustic . for a few potato she bar her breast and the humiliation of the act be wonderfully portray without histrionics . the sexual arousal of the soldier and the importance of sleep over the need for sex and the urinating general whose one arm be useless be vignette of superb cinema . the simplicity of the film and a in most neo realist italian cinema and be disarm . the film even go on to make a hero of a donkey and while conversation revolves around tasty donkey meat . the film reverse the traditional concept of heroism by present a woman be superior to a man ( the general ) and a honest foot soldier superior to a general . i be surprise the film have be gloss over by casual viewer . i will be look out to catch up with campanile work . i be pleased to note that virna lisi have finally be accept a a serious actress in the ninety for her work in la reigne margot . ennio morricone score in this film be very close to the music he provide for the spaghetti western of sergio leone . his score like the performance of steiger be reign in by the director to emphasize the role of the soldier and the girl . my only problem with the title of the movie be the lack of importance provide to the soldier and who be the central figure . when i saw the film and the film bring back memory of de sica bicycle thief . this film and which provide equal importance to hen and donkey a it do to human character and be as real a they come and yet so remove from the value of hollywood screenplay and then and now .