Italian cinema has birthed numerous movements and genres that have proved popular and influential across the world. Neo-realism was the first big one, then you’ve got spaghetti westerns, giallo, poliziotteschi (or Euro crime) and, to a lesser extent, pepla (or sword and sandal movies). However, there were other trends and genres that didn’t catch on quite in the same way outside of Italy. One of these was the commedia all’italiana.
Commedia all’italiana translates as “comedy, Italian style’. It grew from neorealism and that movement’s evolution, neorealismo rosa (pink neorealism), which placed melodramas and comedies in neorealist settings whilst losing the politics. Commedia all’italiana, on the other hand, blended neorealism with traditional Italian comedy, becoming comedy with elements of social satire. Characters and jokes were also given a darker edge than in typical neorealismo rosa films.
To shine a light on this less well-known style of Italian filmmaking, Radiance Films are releasing a trio of commedia all’italiana titles, all directed by Dino Risi, in a boxset simply named Commedia all’Italiana.
Personally, I think it’s great to see a boutique label tackling a less well-trodden genre, with a proliferation of horror, martial arts and other cult titles clogging our shelves, so I wanted to promote the boxset by writing a review.
Read on to hear my thoughts.
Il Vedovo (a.k.a. The Widower)
Director: Dino Risi
Screenplay: Rodolfo Sonego, Fabio Carpi, Dino Risi, Sandro Continenza, Dino Verde
Starring: Alberto Sordi, Franca Valeri, Leonora Ruffo, Livio Lorenzon, Nando Bruno, Ruggero Marchi, Gastone Bettanini
Country: Italy
Running Time: 91 min
Year: 1959
Il Vedovo (a.k.a. The Widower) stars the great Alberto Sordi (one of the key figures in commedia all’italiana) as Alberto Nardi, a businessman who has a high opinion of himself but owes money to everyone and his company is on the verge of collapse.
Barely keeping him clinging on to the lifestyle he enjoys (particularly his relationship with his mistress Gioia, played by Leonora Ruffo) is the fact his wife, Elvira Almiraghi (Franca Valeri), is rich and highly successful. She has lost all respect for her husband though and ridicules him repeatedly.
Alberto, however, believes his luck has changed when the train on which Elvira was supposed to be travelling suffers a terrible accident, killing all its passengers. Whilst pretending to be the grieving widower, he gleefully begins making the most of his newfound wealth.
One thing the commedia all’italiana films often focussed on was the ‘art of getting by’. That’s clear here, through Alberto’s various swindles and sneaky ways of getting out of trouble (or rather, avoiding someone he owes money to). He and other similar characters in these films were more amoral than before. Anti-heroes, I guess you could say. Sordi is great at playing such a role and he has fun as the conniving Alberto. Valeri is great too as his stern, no-nonsense counterpart.
The film seems a little slight and dated to begin with but develops nicely towards the end. The lightweight narrative does mean it feels a touch slow, though there’s always something going on. Whilst I can’t say it had me splitting my sides with laughter, I did find it all rather enjoyable. Some jokes might raise a few eyebrows in this day and age but it’s not as offensive as many other films of its era.
Il Vedovo looks quite simply presented at first glance but, watch carefully and you’ll see that it’s often shot in long takes that, whilst never showy, are handsomely framed. This also allows you to appreciate the comic timing of the cast.
Overall then, Il Vedovo is a solid little farce that is well-executed and enjoyable, though hardly groundbreaking or riotously funny.
Film: 
Il Mattatore (a.k.a. The Showman or Love and Larceny)
Director: Dino Risi
Screenplay: Agenore Incrocci, Furio Scarpelli, Sergio Pugliese, Sandro Continenza, Ettore Scola, Ruggero Maccari
Starring: Vittorio Gassman, Dorian Gray, Peppino De Filippo, Anna Maria Ferrero, Mario Carotenuto, Alberto Bonucci, Fosco Giachetti
Country: Italy, France
Running Time: 103 min
Year: 1960
Il Mattatore (a.k.a. The Showman or Love and Larceny) stars another Italian comedy giant, Vittorio Gassman, as Gerardo Latini, an aspiring actor turned con-man.
The film begins by showing Gerardo now settled down with his wife, Elena (Dorian Gray), but it flashes back to tell his story, after he catches a crook trying to pull an old scam on him.
We learn how this failed performer found his skill at putting on different personas was perfect for swindling people out of their hard-earned cash. Brought under the wing of De Rosa, aka “Chinotto” (Peppino De Filippo), who he met in prison, Gerardo put the artist back in con-artist.
However, Elena, who Gerardo was very fond of, was not impressed with his new vocation, so he repeatedly tried to go straight. This never worked though, as Gerardo was bitten by the grifting bug.
Before shooting Il Mattatore, Gassman had a stint producing a TV show of the same name where he’d put on a series of skits, portraying a range of comic characters, as he does in the film, though it didn’t share the same con-man conceit. The success of this show led to the production of the film, as you might imagine.
Following a sketch-like format, largely just jumping from con to con, the film Il Mattatore is very episodic, though this lack of a strong central narrative was common in commedia all’italiana and it didn’t bother me here. The cons are cleverly written too, making the lack of any substantial surrounding narrative forgivable. In fact, I enjoyed the film a great deal, even if it’s not something that’s likely to stick with me for long.
It’s the Gassman show through and through though and he’s clearly revelling in the chance to jump between personas and send up the acting profession. Gassman was originally a famous stage actor, so it’s particularly amusing to see the scenes where he gets heckled on stage and hams up Shakespeare for a bunch of convicts. He must have enjoyed the experience as this was the first of around 16 films Gassman and director Dino Risi made together.
Once again, long takes are used, though a little less often than before. Visually it’s impressive too, with frames kept busy and great use made of depth in frame. There’s even a surprising shift to colour in the film’s coda.
Overall, Il Mattatore is rather slight but a whole lot of fun. Driven by a charismatic performance and injected with life at every turn, it’s a bright and breezy treat.
Film: 
Il Sorpasso (a.k.a. The Easy Life)
Director: Dino Risi
Screenplay: Dino Risi, Ettore Scola, Ruggero Maccari
Starring: Vittorio Gassman, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Catherine Spaak, Claudio Gora, Luciana Angiolillo
Country: Italy
Running Time: 108 min
Year: 1962
Il Sorpasso (a.k.a. The Easy Life) begins on a hot summer day in Rome during the Ferragosto national holiday. Young, shy law student Roberto Mariani (Jean-Louis Trintignant) is sitting in his apartment, attempting to study for his exams. Gazing out the window, he attracts the attention of the boisterous Bruno Cortona (Gassman again), who’s parked his Lancia Aurelia outside. Bruno asks Roberto to make a phone call for him but ends up heading up to the student’s room to make the call instead.
Receiving no reply on the line to his friends, with whom he was to meet, Bruno asks Roberto to join him for a drink instead. Roberto reluctantly agrees but soon regrets the decision, as Bruno uses the excuse that nothing’s open to take the young man on a wild road trip around Western Italy.
The pair form an unlikely friendship and they, along with the audience, learn there’s more to the two men than meets the eye.
Once again, Il Sorpasso is a film not interested in any sort of complex narrative, instead providing you with a freewheeling snapshot of life in Italy, guided by an insolent character that you can’t fail to be drawn to. The film seems simple in this sense, but there’s a lot going on under the surface and the characters shift subtly and naturally throughout. A nice touch also comes when you realise, beyond all the bluster, the seeming nonsense Bruno continuously spouts can often be acutely accurate. The chief example of this is when he quickly spots the truth behind Roberto’s family’s facade when visiting them for an afternoon.
Generally, the film also presents us with more believable protagonists than the rather caricatured stars of the earlier comedies. Even Bruno, whilst seemingly larger than life at the beginning of the film, is ultimately shown to be a lonely man with various personal problems.
The way Bruno’s personal problems are eventually presented is fairly subtle too. The audience isn’t forced to sympathise with him through a sappy score or teary scene of melodrama. It’s simply presented to the audience through small details that allow us to draw our own conclusions.
The 60s saw the end of the economic boom in Italy and, as such, the films started to show more pessimism and disillusionment. This can be seen lurking underneath this seemingly lighthearted romp. Most notably, the film’s end is somewhat of a kick in the teeth. I’m not sure I appreciated it, to be honest. There are hints towards the turn of events throughout the film, so it wasn’t totally unexpected, but I’m not sure it was entirely necessary.
Otherwise, I fell totally in love with the film. It has such vitality and one of its great qualities is the way it effortlessly captures various facets of life in Italy at the time. It’s hugely enjoyable too, aided by Gassman’s magnetic performance. There are a few off-colour comments made in the film that wouldn’t go down well now but they fit with Bruno’s rude, straight-talking personality.
Gassman was used to performing under makeup, portraying characters that were larger than life, so he was initially worried about delivering a more stripped-back, honest portrayal. However, he delivers a hugely charismatic performance that’s very difficult not to fall in love with, despite playing ultimately quite a self-centred and obnoxious character.
Whilst given the less showy role, Trintignant is quietly effective as the shy, awkward Roberto. His nuanced performance is strong enough to negate the need for the voiceover narration we’re given to hear his thoughts. Trintignant isn’t quite a household name outside of mainland Europe but if you take a look at his filmography you’ll realise just how huge a figure he is in world cinema, with countless cast-iron classics to his name, from Z to The Conformist to Three Colours Red, all the way to his excellent work in the more recent Amour.
Adopting a looser style than the other films in this set, Il Sorpasso is a joyful celebration of life with a sharp edge keeping you on your toes. Perfectly realised, beautifully lensed and centred around two fantastic performances, it’s an absolute delight.
Film:
Commedia all’Italiana is out on 21st August on region B Blu-Ray, released by Radiance Films. The picture quality on all three titles is immaculate. There are warnings at the start of Il Mattatore and Il Sorpasso that some shots had to be taken from dupes or frame restorations, but I noticed very few issues. The images are sharp and natural, with a lovely natural grain and a rich tonal range of blacks, whites and greys. I’ve used screengrabs throughout this review to give you an idea of how the films look, though these have been compressed. I had no issues with the audio either.
BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION BOX SET SPECIAL FEATURES:
– 2016 4K restoration of Il Sorpasso carried out by L’Immagine Ritrovata at the Cineteca di Bologna, presented in High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) for the first time in the UK
– High-Definition digital transfers of Il Mattatore and Il Vedovo, presented in world premieres on Blu-ray
– Original uncompressed Italian mono PCM audio
– Newly translated optional English subtitles
– Newly designed artwork based on original posters
– Limited Edition 80-page perfect bound booklet featuring new writing by scholars and critics including Robert Gordon on the commedia all’italiana boom, Gino Moliterno on Il vedovo; Pasquale Iannone on Age and Scarpelli and the key screenwriters of the commedia all’italiana movement, Christina Newland on Italian machismo and Il sorpasso; a newly translated interview with Dino Risi by Lorenzo Codelli; and extracts of writing by Risi
– Limited Edition of 3,000 copies, presented in a rigid box with full-height scanavo cases for each film and removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings
IL SORPASSO [THE EASY LIFE]
– Appreciation of the film by Italian cinema expert Richard Dyer
– Archival interview with Dino Risi by critic Jean Gili (1999, 13 mins)
– Jean-Louis Trintignant on Il Sorpasso – an introduction by the actor for a French TV broadcast of the film (1983, 8 mins)
– L’estate di Bruno Cortona – Castiglioncello nell’anno del Sorpasso (Gloria De Antoni, 2012) – an extract from the documentary made for the 50th anniversary of Il Sorpasso featuring the cast and crew
– On a Trintignant Kick – An audio essay and tribute to Jean-Louis Trintignant by critic and author Tim Lucas, looking at his life and work in the 1960s (2023, 58 mins)
– Trailer
IL MATTATORE [THE SHOWMAN]
– Interview with Andrea Bini, author of Male Anxiety and Psychopathology in Film: Comedy Italian Style
– Speaking with Gassman – documentary on the working relationship between Vittorio Gassman and Dino Risi, by Risi’s son Marco (2005, 31 mins)
– Love & Larceny – Michel Hazanavicius on Il Mattatore, an appreciation of the film, Gassman and Risi by the director of The Artist (2017, 23 mins)
– Trailer
IL VEDOVO [THE WIDOWER]
– Neorealismo rosa – a visual essay by Italian cinema professor and author of Comedy Italian Style Remi Fournier Lanzoni on the softening of neo-realism which laid the groundwork for the emergence of commedia all’italiana
– Alberto Sordi – a visual essay by critic Kat Ellinger about the great Italian actor
– Trailer
On the Il Vedovo disc, Remi Fournier Lanzoni talks generally about the commedia all’italiana genre. He discusses how it came to be, whilst describing how it changed, moving into the 1960s. It provides a valuable overview for those, like me, who weren’t previously aware of the genre.
Kat Ellinger provides an essay on Sordi, discussing his career and describing how he was an important figure in the development of the commedia all’italiana genre. She takes a look at some key roles and explains how, through these, the actor helped change the face of Italian comedy. It’s an illuminating piece.
On the Il Mattatore disc, ‘Speaking with Gassman’ has Risi’s son Marco interview his father about his relationship with Gassman. This is interspersed with archival interviews with the actor. It’s an enjoyable conversation, with plenty of amusing stories, often of one-upmanship. He’s honest about some of their failures too, even admitting he and Gassman didn’t think much of Il Sorpasso initially but people fell for its charms once it was released. The interview becomes more poignant when Risi discusses Gassman’s later years and the actor’s struggles with depression.
In ‘Love & Larceny’, the director Michel Hazanavicius talks of his love for Il Mattatore and the creative force behind it. On first watching the film, he immediately wanted to remake it with Jean Dujardin in the lead role but it never got off the ground. The interview offers an affectionate tribute to the film as well as some analysis of how it works.
Andrea Bini also discusses Il Mattatore. It’s an interesting piece that digs into what inspired the film, how it fits among the commedia all’italiana and the filmographies of its principles, and what makes it special. He also talks about where Risi and Gassman went next, as well as how Italian comedy changed once commedia all’italiana died out.
On the Il Mattatore disc, ‘On a Trintignant Kick’ is a lengthy piece that sees Tim Lucas discuss the life and career of Jean-Louis Trintignant during the 60s. Lucas states that he always called him his “favourite living actor” up until his death last year. Lucas’ detailed biography runs over Il Sorpasso, acting like a selected scene commentary, though his talk doesn’t relate directly to anything on screen.
Richard Dyer talks about Il Sorpasso, describing how he first found it unbearable. I found this surprising, as the film instantly won me over, but the way Dyer describes it makes sense, in how the rude and brash Bruno character dominates the film relentlessly, which can be a big turn-off. He goes on to say though how a second viewing made him realise the film is a masterpiece and he describes why.
The extract from the archival documentary ‘L’estate di Bruno Cortona – Castiglioncello nell’anno del Sorpasso’ runs for about 11 minutes and sees various people involved in the film reminisce about their experiences. It’s a nice little piece.
In the archival introduction to Il Sorpasso by Trintignant, the actor tells an amusing story about how he got the role “by accident”, as well as discussing his feelings about the film.
There’s also an archival interview with Risi. In it, he talks about commedia all’italiana and where his work might be thought to fit into it, as well as generally running through some of his films.
I didn’t receive a copy of the accompanying book to comment on that, unfortunately.
So, whilst I would have loved some commentaries (I’m a big fan of them), Commedia all’Italiana is a very well compiled set that provides a wonderful introduction to a less well-trodden avenue of Italian cinema. Highly recommended.
Discs/Package:
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