Don Camillo

I have recently watched so many American gangster and noir films that I felt I needed something different for a change. What better than a French-Italian co-production from the immediate post-war period? It got to be 'The Little World of Don Camillo'. Fernandel plays the eponymous priest of a small town in Northern Italy who is the friend and enemy of the newly elected communist mayor 'Peppone' Bottazzi (Gino Cervi with a moustache that makes him look like Stalin). The film, set in 1946, concerns Camillo and Peppone's friendly quarrels about how best to serve their little town (the 'little world' of the title): they want the same things but differ about the best ways to get them. Director Julien Duvivier has adapted episodes from Guareschi's novel and cleverly intervove them so that they make up a charming and amusing whole: a film that's heartwarming and funny, though there are no moments when you laugh out loud. Fernandel is outstanding and Cervi does very well as his frenemy. The picture is interesting non the least because it offers a glimpse of life in post-war Italy and an insight into the political and social atmosphere of the time. Highly recommended!

French comic actor Fernandel embodied the title role while remarkable Italian character actor Gino Cervi played his spiritual and political opponent. More than a rustic comedy, the film epitomizes the postwar political polarization in Italy and symbolizes the famous "compromesso storico"---historical compromise---under which Italy would long continue to be governed. This successful film spawned a series of popular sequels, mostly with the same two actors, all based on the Giovanni Guareschi novels. A point of clarification: this was a French-Italian co-production and was first released in the U.S. in its French-language version with English subtitles before the dubbed English version with narrator Orson Welles went into circulation. The Italian-language version, not readily available, is the most appropriate one.

This is, and has been since I was a young boy, one of my favorite movies.

It's the story of a Catholic priest and a Communist mayor who are each others worst enemy and best friend. The dialogs are just great, but what I like most about these movies (there a are 5 in total) is that both main characters (Don Camillo and Peppone) are "real people". They act on impulse, say one thing but think the other, manipulate... they are real humans. When one of Peppone's people dies and asks for the church-bells to be rang at his funeral, Don Camillo refuses because he was no Catholic. Peppone orders a big bell to be placed in the town square which Don Camillo sabotages. The bell is broken and sounds horrible but at the end, Don Camillo rings his bells because "by asking for the bells, the boy was asking for God". This is one of these typical things I like about these movies.

I've got the good fortune I also understand French and can watch these movies in that language. I can't imagine what they would sound like in English but I would advice anyone to watch them in the French version. I hate dubbed movies and can't imagine Fernandel speaking English (although in one movie he does which is hilarious). But in all, I think even the English version still is one of the best movies ever made.

If you're not prejudiced against black and white and foreign movies, this is a movie you have to see. If you are, you don't know what you're missing.

Fernandel is Don Camillio, the reactionary village priest. Gino Cervi is Giuseppe 'Peppone' Bottazzi, the communist mayor and the fierce opponent of of Camillio. In their own little world, they engage in a fierce and time-honored struggle for the hearts, minds, souls and well-being of their community. Cervi has his organization and supporters. Camillio only only the voice of G*d to narrate the events and to reproach him when he fails in his work; however, since it's Orson Welles' voice, the honors are more than even in this loving little film by Julien Duvivier.

It's an odd film from Duvivier, whose movies often celebrated the unseen hand of fate, leading men to destruction. Yet in this movie, everyone knows who they are and what is important, even if they disagree fiercely. So the old teacher rails against stupidity and hopes for a pension; the young lovers re-enact Romeo and Juliet; and the communist brings his newborn child to be baptized as Giuseppi Stalin.

Perhaps it is the inherent humility of these people that makes Duvivier adore them. They do not fight their fates, but recognizing it, do their best within it. Duvivier made a sequel, and Fernandel repeated the role four times, his lugubrious face making him the perfect parish priest.

In 1948 the Italian journalist and novelist Giovannino Guareschi wrote: Mondo piccolo : Don Camillo (translated in French en 1951 in Le petit monde de Don Camillo).Giovannino Guareschi creates in this book two strong characters: Don Camillo, the priest of Brescella and Giuseppe "Peppone" Bottazzi ,the communist mayor of Brescella.In 1952 French and Italian producers ask the French director Julien Duvivier to direct the "The little world of Don Camillo" with Fernandel and Gino Cervi as main actors. Julien Duvivier is a French director well know by "Sous le ciel de Paris", "Marie-Octobre" and "The Devil and the Ten commandments". Fernandel and Gino Cervi don't need any presentation, there were well known actors in their respective countries. "Don Camillo" is then the story of the rivalry between Don Camillo and Peppone.The two men have fought together in the Italian resistance and now one is the priest of the village and the other one is mayor of the village.We are in the time of the cold war: in Italy there are now two important political parties who dominate the political life in the country and also in this village of the Po Valley.Don Camillo criticizes Peppone and Peppone criticizes Don Camillo.Every one is thinking in the next moves that he can do to annoy the other one,but also, they will help each other in the difficult moments of their lives.I forget to mention an important character of this film ,the narrator who tells quietly and with humour the rivalry betweeen Don Camillo and Peppone.