7 commentaires
- Bunuel1976
- 24 juin 2008
- Permalien
Dino Risi said, when his film was first shown (1971): «This is more or less the picture of Italy these days.»
When I saw this film (1975), I wondered why it had taken four years for such a well done film (action, dialogue, script, realistic acting, thrilling sequences) to be shown in France, and other Western European countries. Weren't all democracies, full of law and order, wishing to back magistrates like the one portrayed in the movie? He was not particularly bright, or courageous, or whatever is needed to be a symbol. No, he was a simple man, invested of some authority, wishing to do the job for what he was paid for: smelling a dead rat when there was one, hidden under a luxurious carpet.
Remembering this film now (2003), when the European politics, and Italian relations between government and magistrates is what it is, makes me wonder why no one is releasing this master piece in DVD and VHS?!... It should be mandatory viewing in all Law Schools.
When I saw this film (1975), I wondered why it had taken four years for such a well done film (action, dialogue, script, realistic acting, thrilling sequences) to be shown in France, and other Western European countries. Weren't all democracies, full of law and order, wishing to back magistrates like the one portrayed in the movie? He was not particularly bright, or courageous, or whatever is needed to be a symbol. No, he was a simple man, invested of some authority, wishing to do the job for what he was paid for: smelling a dead rat when there was one, hidden under a luxurious carpet.
Remembering this film now (2003), when the European politics, and Italian relations between government and magistrates is what it is, makes me wonder why no one is releasing this master piece in DVD and VHS?!... It should be mandatory viewing in all Law Schools.
This is one of the movies I can easily watch over and over again. It is built around two opposite characters that represent two Italies living in the same country but viscerally antithetic.
Vittorio Gassman is an entrepeneur with right wing leanings but overall interested in business and not really concerned about values and morality: smart, charming, friendly but in the end self centered and not interested in anything but himself, one of those that made fortune during the boom years because of their cunning and recklessness.
On the opposite side of the sprectrum, Ugo Tognazzi is a left-wing prosecutor, a man of principle always controlled, serious, stiff, bitter. He looks with contempt to the Italian ruling class responsible in his eyes of creating a monstrous immoral country in which the powerful could act freely for their own profit at the expenses of the greater good.
The action develops around a crime and the story turns are never obvious nor facile. Around the two main characters a diverse crowd portrays different classes and human kinds that could be found in those years.
The result is a bitter and cynical portrait of a society where there are no real good nor bad, as everyone is following his own agenda to which we can, to bigger or smaller degrees, relate. What I like about dino risi movies is that they don't provide, in highly politicised years, any easy populist target (that you can find for example in the period in Elio Petri's movies) and, even if we see the very evident damages engineer Santenocito (Gassmann) does with his activities, we cannot say that prosecutor Bonifazi (Tognazzi) is in the end that scrupulous and thorough good impartial judge. What is left is an incompatible moral and ideological clash without compromises.
p.s. As an Italian that grew up in the 90s in a left-wing family, to me this movie resonates incredibly well with the clash between supportes of Berlusconi (whose personality is extremely close to Santenocito's) and the, he claimed (with some truth) "red" judiciary and left-wing Italians. In general, until the first decade of the XXI century this reciprocal mistrust and ongoing accusation between left wing and right wing was very alive in Italy. We on the left believed to be morally superior people opposing a small-minded business-oriented hedonist hypocrite right and centre that ended up representing all the evil we perceived in "Italianness"(once more, exactly what this 70s movie is about). Today that partisan spirit is not as vibrant and alive, but this is another story
On the opposite side of the sprectrum, Ugo Tognazzi is a left-wing prosecutor, a man of principle always controlled, serious, stiff, bitter. He looks with contempt to the Italian ruling class responsible in his eyes of creating a monstrous immoral country in which the powerful could act freely for their own profit at the expenses of the greater good.
The action develops around a crime and the story turns are never obvious nor facile. Around the two main characters a diverse crowd portrays different classes and human kinds that could be found in those years.
The result is a bitter and cynical portrait of a society where there are no real good nor bad, as everyone is following his own agenda to which we can, to bigger or smaller degrees, relate. What I like about dino risi movies is that they don't provide, in highly politicised years, any easy populist target (that you can find for example in the period in Elio Petri's movies) and, even if we see the very evident damages engineer Santenocito (Gassmann) does with his activities, we cannot say that prosecutor Bonifazi (Tognazzi) is in the end that scrupulous and thorough good impartial judge. What is left is an incompatible moral and ideological clash without compromises.
p.s. As an Italian that grew up in the 90s in a left-wing family, to me this movie resonates incredibly well with the clash between supportes of Berlusconi (whose personality is extremely close to Santenocito's) and the, he claimed (with some truth) "red" judiciary and left-wing Italians. In general, until the first decade of the XXI century this reciprocal mistrust and ongoing accusation between left wing and right wing was very alive in Italy. We on the left believed to be morally superior people opposing a small-minded business-oriented hedonist hypocrite right and centre that ended up representing all the evil we perceived in "Italianness"(once more, exactly what this 70s movie is about). Today that partisan spirit is not as vibrant and alive, but this is another story
- davidepresciuttini
- 14 oct. 2020
- Permalien
Gassman & Tognazzi...need anything else ?
it's a movie coming from the "good old times" when there had no need of special effects,stunts or whatever, a plot,some professionals and a stage,action !
this good work has recently been published on DVD.
unluckily the overall quality of the encoding is not very high anyway it's such better than most VHS,so...
it's a masterpiece,no doubt.
no matter where u live,no matter what language u speak...when the work is well done u will even understand an Icelandic movie subtitled in Thai !
;-)
Matt
it's a movie coming from the "good old times" when there had no need of special effects,stunts or whatever, a plot,some professionals and a stage,action !
this good work has recently been published on DVD.
unluckily the overall quality of the encoding is not very high anyway it's such better than most VHS,so...
it's a masterpiece,no doubt.
no matter where u live,no matter what language u speak...when the work is well done u will even understand an Icelandic movie subtitled in Thai !
;-)
Matt
I have watched this movie for political satire comedy nature.(Or probably for. Vittorio Gassman).
On the contrary, this is excellent drama about vice and honesty.
Dont know whom was the excellent actor.(Ugo Tognazzi or Vittorio Gassman). Both of them did a excellent performance.
Ugo Tognazzi is a honest judge and concerned only about the welfare of the society and eradicating any miscreants harming the society. Vittorio Gassman is a Opportunistic Capitalist and use any methods to achieve his success. The movie is about the Judge charging the capitalist and investigating him for crime or possible crime for conviction.
Did not expect the climax and was from beginning suspecting the role of Vittorio Gassman as he was portrayed as exploiter and a capitalist.
Conversation between the judge(Uno Togazzi) and industrialist( vittoro gassman) were interesting and gives continuation to the film. Whenever these 2 appear opposite to each other, it was pure pleasure to watch.
Dont how 2 great actors work together with out conflict. (Some of the places vittoro gassman seems to beg the judge and some place he shows his anger and some they were fighting.)
Nice drama if you could spend time and watch.
On the contrary, this is excellent drama about vice and honesty.
Dont know whom was the excellent actor.(Ugo Tognazzi or Vittorio Gassman). Both of them did a excellent performance.
Ugo Tognazzi is a honest judge and concerned only about the welfare of the society and eradicating any miscreants harming the society. Vittorio Gassman is a Opportunistic Capitalist and use any methods to achieve his success. The movie is about the Judge charging the capitalist and investigating him for crime or possible crime for conviction.
Did not expect the climax and was from beginning suspecting the role of Vittorio Gassman as he was portrayed as exploiter and a capitalist.
Conversation between the judge(Uno Togazzi) and industrialist( vittoro gassman) were interesting and gives continuation to the film. Whenever these 2 appear opposite to each other, it was pure pleasure to watch.
Dont how 2 great actors work together with out conflict. (Some of the places vittoro gassman seems to beg the judge and some place he shows his anger and some they were fighting.)
Nice drama if you could spend time and watch.