Pane, amore e fantasia

A beautiful naive Italian romantic comedy from the 1950s.

A small village on italian countryside is the perfect scenario to unfolding a story where everybody knows about other's lives, the people will talk in each little suspicious moves, all this happen when a new chief of the police arrives in town, an unmarried man, he'll be advised by the priest who takes care about everything, the picture was a hit in those time and gave a sequel, a still young Lolobrigida and the mid age Vittorio De Sica made a remarkable performance in this enjoyable custom italian comedy!!

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First watch: 2018 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8.5

With a grandeur typical of much of the rest of this light-hearted romance, the new police chief "Antonio" (Vittorio De Sica) arrives at his new, rural, command on the bus. He has hardly hung up his hat before he takes a bit of a shine to "Bersagliera" (Gina Lollobrigida) who's nickname "Frisky" clearly demonstrates how totally unsuitable any relationship between the two might be. Anyway, she has her eyes on his dashing young sergeant (Roberto Risso). His life is further complicated when the local midwife "Annarella" (Marisa Merlini) begins to fall in love with him, unaware that she has a few secrets of her own that might compromise everything. It's quite difficult to précis the plot without making it look like a predictable soap-style love triangle, but the characterisations here and the quick-fired dialogue pack quite a lot into ninety minutes with Lollobrigida at her most natural in front of the camera. Except, that is, when they are on the bikes in front of what is clearly a moving background of somewhere completely different! There's plenty of chemistry here, some fun and the practically minded "Frisky" seems ultimately more bothered about her mule than either of her men. It's a film that slightly exaggerates normal village life, and at times is just a wee bit contrived, but it's still entertaining to watch.

I watched this film with a bit of sadness. There will never be another set of Italian films that boast of the passion, truth, and joy of the neorealism period of Italian cinema. Not just a few films, but several dozen of them one after another, year in and year out until the mid-1970s. The combination of DeSica and Lollobrigida guaranteed this film would be a smash hit; and it was. What a delightful little film about everyday life in a small village, where a secret lasts about as long as a fresh loaf of bread. Do yourself a favor; watch this one with somebody you care for.

Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida ("La Lollo") had been in a number of smaller films before this 1953 blockbuster catapulted her to international fame. The success of this rustic comedy spawned a sequel a year later: PANE AMORE E GELOSIA or "FRISKY. In BREAD LOVE AND DREAMS Gina plays Maria De Ritis, called "Pizzicarella la Bersagliera" or "Frisky" in the distributor's translation. She is a feisty country girl in southern Italy's Ciociaria area. During the course of the film she is pursued by the town's new "maresciallo" (local police chief), a lewd and lascivious woman-chaser played as only Vittorio De Sica could play lewd and lascivious, that is with great delight. At the same time Lollo is being flirtatious with the newly arrived young police officer from the north. Amorous complications ensue in what is essentially a modernized "commedia dell'arte" piece with performers of enormous appeal. The cast also includes Marisa Merlini as the midwife the maresciallo has an eye on as well. And there's the unique and marvelous character actress Tina Pica in a smaller role. Luigi Comencini directed both this film and its immediate sequel, which has much of the same cast, with great gusto.