I due colonnelli

splendid comedy, seductive at whole, it is more than a war movie. because it represents a wise example of measure about a delicate subject. the secret is the remarkable cast and use, in smart manner of classic clichés. and the real virtue is exactly the status of first step on a way to present the war in a fresh manner. key - great dialog between Walter Pidgeon and Toto.than - the game of stereotypes.and not the last, slices of naivety, used with admirable art. a comedy about a tragic event with powerful Italian flavor, with a precise script and the testimony for many films after it - Mediterraneo is the obvious example.

the clash between different mentalities. naive, seductive, adorable. first, of course, for the performance of Toto. than, for the wise way to present the modern war in a...Medieval knight. and for the remember of basic moral virtues. in fresh manner. in gentle way. because, in essence, it is a film about people. only about people. ironic, wise, honest, almost poetic. and this is the great virtue of a film who remains great against the passing time as a moral lesson and noble message about the real important things.

Totò is his usual manic self, shouting all his lines and being moderately funny and Pidgeon is a phlegmatic British colonel, with a soft spot for Italy. The comedic situations are created by contrasts between the British and the Italian temperament, but they're so cliche and predictable as to be mostly unfunny.

Some cringeworthy dialogue is shouted by Totò to Penelope, the mother of his young, Greek lover. Besides expressing his disgust for the elderly lady, he calls her a witch and declares she should be killed. Since this is supposed to be a comedy, the sexist dialogue is disturbing, not to mention that Penelope is more unattractive than necessary.

The third act, with the arrival of the Germans is moderately dramatic and still extremely loud, just like the previous two chapters. The ending sort of save the show, but not quite enough.

This "war-comedy" is a really good one, even if little known. Featuring the unusual couple Antonio De Curtis-Walter Pidgeon, this is also a very funny movie, where the cleverness of Pidgeon reveals itself in the attempt to follow the classic "Totò"'s improvisation skill. Nino Taranto is as good as usual, and I have to signal that there is also an amusing scene involving Roland Bartrop and Totò, but I'm not sure if it was included in the reduced US version (I have seen only the full Italian version).