Hochwürden Don Camillo

Fernandel and Gino Cervi were protagonists of five movies over Dom Camillo a Priest against a communist Politician Peppone, this one was the fourth movie of the successful series that starts in 1952 until 1965, broadly speaking the Producers aiming for capitalize on a strife that since the communist party landed at Italy in 1943, henceforth it was spreading all around the country like gunpower fuse, mainly because the commies actually don't believe in God, thus the clash between the priesthood and the reds is unavoidable.

Both in Rome going back to their small town Brescello, there they face each other in every single matter, as the reds gained a ground to raise a housing state where has a smallest old forsaken Saint's chapel still used as worship spot, it triggers a struggles among them, that is settled when two sides make a fair agreement, also when Peppone's son decides be marry, it lifts a neuralgic issue to overcame, as member of communist party he points out just allowed a civil marriage, Dom Camillo states otherwise, in a church, so they end up a compromise, thus the adamant commie Peppone follows the Stalin's requires, in other hand Dom Camillo has a secret adviser....

Funny picture mocking the opposites trend of through ongoing at its time cross-country on Italy, moreover the stereotyped characters actually like each other somehow, even having their own point of views, a slight dated by now, either way it delivers all their offered with strong social commentary.

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First watch: 2024 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8.

Don Camillo and Peppone are now in Rome, the first as Monsignore and the second as communist senator.But they are not very happy in Rome and they are looking everyone for a pretext to come back to Brescella.And they manage to come back and follow their rivalry in the little village of the Po valley. I have the feeling that this film doesn't show anything very new except the incident of Gisella and her husband. So this film is not as convincing that "Don Camillo" and "Le retour de De Don Camillo" !!

Of course, it's a matter of taste, but for me, it's the low point in the DonCamillo series, despite the actors giving great performances as always.

The problem here is the plot. We start with DC and Peppone both "trapped" in Rome - DC in the Vatican, Peppone in the Senate - and both grabbing the opportunity of a small local conflict to hurry back to Brescello. So, the opportunity for fish-out-of-water gags is wasted and the first 15 minutes do exactly nothing to further any plot apart from setting up a running gag (both remain at home much longer than planned, thinking up every kind of excuses not to return to Rome).

Back in Brescello, it's business as usual, quite literally: Many of the episodes are just rehashes of similar ones from films 1 & 2. There's little tension and few (if any) surprises; every subplot develops as expected.

Summaryy: While the film feels like a nice old acquaintance, it fails to hold my attention or bring something new to the world of DonCamillo.

In this one, both Don Camillo and Peppone are in Rome. One is monsignore, the other a communist senator. But they're reunited in their little countryside village by a controversy over the construction of an apartment complex. Slightly better than La Grande bagarre de Don Camillo (1955), but not as convincing as the first two in the series.

Out of 100, I give it 77. That's good for **½ out of **** stars.

Seen at home, in Toronto, on September 22th, 2002.