Truth can be stranger than fiction. The desperate campaign by Italian police to catch aging Mafia head Bernardo Provenzano, as depicted in the two-part docudrama, “The Last Godfather” will leave you mesmerized – or shaking your head.  It’s a campy, strangely entertaining ride. You’ve got your bible-toting, bible-quoting Mafia don on the run, played by Michele Placido. (A far cry from the zealous police detective he played in The Octopus/La Piovra, Italy’s iconic Mafia series from the ‘80s and ‘90s). Then there’s a creepy informant with a big scar over his eye played by Nino Frassica, aka the Marshal from Don Matteo! You’ve got your bumbling but good-natured, sincere police team, and a Debbie Downer district attorney – played by Guido Caprino from Inspector Manara. Plus wonderful actors playing the Sicilian Mafia members of all ranks, high and low. The main sound effect is the tinkling of sheep and goat bells, because the meetings happen in barns and culminate with some sort of cheese consumption, courtesy of the bell wearers. It’s a totally Sicilian trip, with many scenes filmed in the rugged countryside. The police are determined to get Provenzano, but he’s losing steam from being on the run for 50 years. Plus, he’s sick… However, he’s got big ideas for bringing the ‘organization’ into the 21st century. A guy can dream, can’t he?

There’s some violence in the episodes, but mostly the narrative is just bizarre – and in case you think it’s the invention of fanciful scriptwriters, check this out:

Bernardo Provenzano Wikipedia