Tonight I discovered that the DVD version of "Don Bosco" is coming out in English. I've seen the made-for-TV film in Italian. It came out as a mini-series in September 2004. It is absolutely excellent. I have the copy in Italian that I brought over last year and have been waiting to hear if it would come out in English (since it was actually filmed in English). Now I have preordered a copy from Ignatius Press here in San Francisco and am looking forward to its arrival.
From what I have seen in the blurb at Ignatius Press, the DVD has the Italian and English soundtracks, with subtitles in English or Spanish. Like I say, the Italian version is excellent, excellent. It is far better than the 1988 movie of Don Bosco with Ben Gazzara. Flavio Insinna does an excellent job as a very believable Don Bosco. The kids are believable too: Michele Rua, Giovanni Cagliero, Giuseppe Buzzetti are all portrayed in ways that mirror what we know of their actual characters as kids (each went on to do great things as adults in the Salesian cause). There are also some characters of boys that sum up troubled youth: "Bruno" is a character of this type, and done with exceptional delicacy. And Domenico Savio also shows up to interact with Don Bosco and the other (older) boys. Don Cafasso and Mamma Margaret both play significant roles in the story, as does the Marchesa Barolo. And there are hard issues to deal with as well: the Archbishop of Turin's attempts to curtail the Salesian work, and the antagonism of the Italian government.
Finally, let me say that I found this film "Don Bosco" not only excellent but totally moving, and normally I am very critical of attempts to portray Don Bosco in the popular media.
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