MoMA Presents: Jules Dassin’s The Law

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In a Southern Italian fishing village, the locals settle into a tavern to play La Passatella, a drinking game dating back to ancient Roman times, in which the consumption of too much wine leads to the bullying and humiliation of one unlucky participant. [...]

Director Jules Dassin (1911–2008) was born in Connecticut but spent the majority of his career working in Europe. In 1951 he was subpoenaed by the House Un-American Activities Committee but refused to testify. He departed for France in 1953 and remained in Europe to complete his myriad film projects, including Rififi (1955) and Never on Sunday (1960), for which he was nominated for a Best Director Oscar.–MoMA