The story line is almost identical. A Sicilian goes north to work in a factory, becomes a foreman, gets a blonde, and brings her back to Sicily where he is dragged back into the seriously screwed up local customs. Lina W. then added a sharp political angle, and generated much funnier situations in the wife vs. mistress dept.
shareSeduction of Mimi (also known as Mimi the Ironworker) was one of the funniest movies I've EVER seen. Glad you mentioned it. I saw it back in the early 70's not long after it came out. It was so awesome I was floored, and as a result I became a fan of "foreign" movies ever since. Too bad it isn't shown on TV more often.
"I've always tried to teach you two things. First: Never let them see you bleed. Second: Always have an escape plan." - Q
I loved 'The Seduction of Mimi'(that movie was remade for the American screen and was funny even with the remake...) but I think 'Mafioso' was different enough to escape serious comparisons. Lina W. made stupdendous movies built around that great leading man, Giancarlo Giannini. She could make almost every scene center on some expression in his blue eyes. The Seduction had one driving force - revenge - and the leading man carried it all. 'Mafioso,' on the other hand, really seemed much more about the Italian boy-man, always seeking acceptance and approval. This kind of sums up 'Mafioso' for me: how crazy about his family the main character is, how accepting, how apologetic, and ultimately, how dutiful. I think the movie's very special in the genre of Mafia films. Lina W. made a wonderful movie about machismo when she made Seduction.
I thought Alberto Sordi was just brilliant. So was Giannini. But the two movies had different foci.