Le cocu magnifique

Critics at the time thought this film 'mildly amusing'. There are no belly laughs to be sure but it is a beautifully observed comic gem and one of the finest examples of the genre known as 'Commedia all'Italiana'.

It concerns a man who is convinced that his gorgeous young wife is being unfaithful which leads him to behave irrationally(to put it mildly!) and make an utter fool of himself. He is finally convinced of her fidelity but we know something he doesn't......... Ugo Tognazzi is fantastic as the demented husband and Claudia Cardinale during the best period of her career is simply sensational as his wife. Not unlike Rex Harrison's character in 'Unfaithfully Yours' the husband's imagination takes over and the scenes where he imagines his wife doing a striptease and finding her 'in flagrante delicto' are priceless.

I never cease to be impressed by the quality of black and white cinematography in Italian films of the 1960's and this film is no exception. It is shot by the great Armando Nannuzzi. The score by Armando Trovajoli is fabulous and the art direction/production design by Maurizio Chiari simply stunning. La Cardinale, dressed by Nina Ricci, is pretty stunning as well.

Director Antonio Pietrangeli had just made 'The Visit' and went on to make 'I knew her well' but sadly drowned in 1968. A great loss.