L'armata Brancaleone

"L'Armata Brancaleone" is an absolute comedy masterpiece. Its surreal medieval world is incredibly deep and funny. The story is summarized here at IMDB, so it's not necessary to repeat it. The main comic device is based on the contrast between the heroic world that the charachters try to master (paladins, knights' tournaments, kings etc) and their actual miserable conditions. The only problem with this movie for non-italian speakers is the language: the authors re-created a mock medieval language (using ancient italian, latin and italian dialects) which is absolutely flamboyant. This particular language (very difficult to understand if you're not italian native speaker) and Vittorio Gassman make this movie one of the best comedies of the 20th century. Thanks to Mario Monicelli, the great film director.

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.

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.

This rare film is now available on a Brazilian DVD, which the earlier comments here convinced me was worth getting. I've just watched it, and it is a joy! The earlier commentators are right on the mark in their comparisons to "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," in that it is an episodic, stylishly-realized, broad medieval comedy concerning a motley group of protagonists on a quest. Unlike the Monty Python film, however, this one never deviates from the story line and the actors never break character. It is also not quite as fully anarchic as the Python film. There is, in fact, a very touching death scene near the end of the film. Superbly paced, it seemed to me that there were no weak spots or comedic lulls. The poorly-translated English subtitles on my DVD were often very funny in their own right (unintentionally, I'm sure). But even though I don't understand Italian and missed some of the linguistic humor mentioned here, I still got a great deal of enjoyment out of it. The look of the film is fascinating, particularly some scenes in which the costuming, makeup, and set design evoke Fellini at his weirdest. Also, the use of the spectacular Italian countryside and old villages is outstanding. It's a privilege to have discovered this rare film, and I am thankful to the earlier commentators for helping bring it to my attention. That's one of the great advantages of visiting the IMDb.