L'armée Brancaleone

Ok, this movie is very funny, really. There are great jokes, a lot of gags and pure nonsense. The characters are unforgettable and the reconstitution of Middle Age is impressive. Unfortunately, it's an unknown (in the USA) masterpiece of Mario Monicelli and there are another Medieval Comedy's movies more famous, like Monty Phyton and the Holy Grail. But, if you will have a chance to watch "L'Armata Brancaleone" (The Incredible Army of Brancaleone), don't miss because it's really good.

Thanks to the french-speaking TV networks of my country (Canada), I litterally grew up with commedia all'italiana - Italy's crazy explosion of satirical comedies (1955-1980). Soon the "quartet of monsters" - Gassman, Manfredi, Sordi, Tognazzi - became my favourite comic stars. But when it comes to L'Armata Brancaleone, it is only two years ago that I finally found this movie, after a decade and a half of frentic research. The old Italian guy who sold me the (used) videocassette for 50 $ thinks he outsmarted me. No he did not! Even for a 1000 $, it would still be a bargain! For L'Armata Brancaleone is no less than a miracle of comic invention. The visceral power of this farce defies any superlatives I could find. Vittorio Gassman's performance as Brancaleone can only be compared to the greatest comics of the century. For their work on this film, scripters Age & Scarpelli, director Mario Monicelli and the whole team down to the most humble go-fer would deserve an enormous trophy.

"L'armata Brancaleone" was made at the time of Italian cinema's triumphs, when Italy could boast some excellent directors and well-known actors. There's one simple reason why this movie is still loved by young generations: it's a real comedy, hilarious without being trivial, and it can rely on a couple of ingenious tricks, such as the language and the setting. The characters speak a funny pseudo-ancient Italian crammed with Latin words and solemn sentences, and maybe some quotations from "La Divina Commedia" by Dante Alighieri (the name Matelda and her character played by the gorgeous Catherine Spaak). And what about the setting? A wild Medieval Italy, with uncontaminated natural sceneries, castles and towns infested by pestilences. Kudos to the actors, everybody is perfect in his/her own role, from Vittorio Gassman and Gian Maria Volonté to the supporting roles, and of course to the director Mario Monicelli, amalgamating all with his personal touch.

I have seen this movie when it first came out in Germany in a dubbed version. I went back several times I liked it so much, great comedy, great acting and entertainment. After all this years I started searching on the web, because nobody in America seems to have ever heard of this movie. So far I only found an old German dubbed copy, but I look forward to finally see the original version. I have seen many movies in my time, but Brancaleone seems to always come to my mind when I think of comedy and middle ages. The Monty Python can not reach this one.

Ok, the italian comedy of the `50s and `60s is one of the best in the world. I say this not only because I am italian but because it`s true. Just rent or buy the movies of directors such as Pietro Germi, Dino Risi, Steno and of course Mario Monicelli. L`Armata Brancaleone is one of the best comedies ever because of the script, the gags, the language (a very funny mix of ancient italian and latin, I don`t know how the translation could work) and the actors, first of all Gassman, the protagonist, that Monicelli `discovered` as a comic character in `I soliti ignoti` (before that Gassman played almost exclusively drama plays). Even the representation of the Middle Age seems to me (a non-expert in history) quite accurate: see for example the prophet who guides the people towards the Crusade (an incredible Gian Maria Volonte`).

Another gem of italian comedy, a must-see for everyone.