Subject: Guzzi Movies
Author: Patrick Hayes
Date: Apr 20, 2004, 9:43 AM
Post ID: 1716591822
Here is a new one for our list. Went to the San Francisco International
Film Festival last night to see the 2002 award-winning Italian film, El
Alamein: La Linea di Fuoco (the line of fire).
North Africa campaign in WWII, late October 1942. British were
defending Alexandria, Egypt. Germans and Italians were stopped in the
desert at El Alamein. Desolate. British (Montgomery) stockpiled
massive reserves and made some brilliant strategic maneuvers. Mechanized
Germans retreated to leave the Italians as cannon fodder to slow down
the pursuing British. Wiped out the Italians. Impressive film about
the horror and futility of warfare and the bravery of soldiers who know
they are being defeated. Great filming and acting.
Opening scene: Two riders on a Guzzi SuperAlce tearing through the
desert. Dispatch driver is delivering a new recruit to the front lines.
Using both sets of handlebars and all. Goes on for ten minutes of
distant and close up shots while the credits roll in. Complete with
that musical exhaust note of a vintage Guzzi single. At the end of the
movie our protagonist rides off into the sunset on another lengthy
SuperAlce departure ride. Great stuff.
One pedantic note. The bike in use for the film is most assuredly a
SuperAlce. I say so because it has a foot shift and that long, single
silencer from the later production run. Production on the SuperAlce did
not start until 1946. The proper period motorcycle would have been the
forerunner Alce. The differences are that the Super has a foot shift
lever while the older Alce has a tank shift. Colombo's book makes a
minor reference that the Alce "...could also be fitted with a pedal
controlled gearchange...". But, every photo or museum cycle of the Alce
I have ever seen has always been tank shift. And the Alce has a
shorter, dual tube silencer. I forgive this very minor technical
oversight. It is possible that the actual movie bike was an Alce
retrofitted with later version spare parts. I would need to have others
listen VERY carefully to determine if the motor sound is that of the
IOE engine of an Alce or of the double overhead valve engine of the
Super. Sure sounded an awful lot like my Super.
Four stars for sure. Not sure if it will ever see mainstream USA cinema
release. Wish I could get a DVD copy. The first ten minutes are
definitely worth the price of admission.
Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA