Summary:
A Sicilian man, unhappy in his marriage, falls in love with his younger cousin and vows to wed her. But, since divorce is illegal in Italy, he must devise a way to convince his wife to have an affair so he can commit a crime of passion.
My Thoughts:
Well, this film was a treat, but I can’t say it will be for everyone. This is a film that parodies the Italian culture of the 1960s; the culture then being heavily influenced by the Catholic Church, and also exuberantly patriarchal. In other words, when this film was made, Italy was a man’s world, and this film attacks that construct in a way that only a black comedy could: with biting satire and hilarious commentary on the separation of church and state. The film also has some rather dark themes (though they’re approached humorously). Today, divorce is no longer illegal in Italy, but there is a required separation period of six months; clearly the Church still has some sway over the laws there. As this is a Christian site, and there are themes that revolve around divorce (amongst other things), I’d feel a touch strange if I didn’t mention that the morals in this movie are not exactly up to snuff, but that is entirely the point. Germi has taken a situation that he finds ridiculous, and overblown it to the point where we can all see the ridiculousness of it. It’s a nigh perfect parody, because it accomplishes what it set out to do by attacking the system Germi thinks is broken, while also being undeniably hilarious. What’s even better is that the film stars the wonderful Marcello Mastroianni (“8 ½” , “La Dolce Vita”), and for this film he received a best actor nomination at the Oscars, which, coincidentally, was the first time a foreign language performance had been nominated at the Academy Awards.
“I urge you to vote for the party of the people, a democratic party which respects our Christian faith.”
Ferdinando Cefalu (Mastroianni) is a married Sicilian Baron living in a rather small town where almost everyone knows each other, and the Church presence is everywhere. His family fortune has largely withered away by his father’s unchecked spending, and the Cefalu family all has to live in one manor in separate wings. Ferdinando’s wife of twelve years, Rosalie (Daniela Rocco, “Revenge of the Barbarians”), is overbearing and needy, and Ferdinando can no longer stand her. In fact, Ferdinando spends his nights dreaming about his pulchritudinous first cousin Angela (Stefania Sandrelli, “The Conformist”). One day, while lounging by the beach, Angela and Ferdinando share a tender moment, and Ferdinando becomes sure that Angela is also in love with him. Desperate for a way out of his marriage, Ferdinando concocts a plan to involve his wife in an affair, so he can commit a crime of passion and get off with an easy sentence.
So, first and foremost I loved the writing in this movie (apropos since it won best original screenplay in 1963). It’s a film that centers on a rather dark topic, but the way it’s approached is absolutely hysterical. The premise, as I mentioned above, isn’t exactly a morally sound one, but this was made in the 60s; as far as onscreen content goes, this film is quite tame. Perhaps the thing I liked the most about the writing was Ferdinando’s running inner monologue, which narrates a good portion of the film. Through his monologue, we learn all sorts of things about the town, about the people inhabiting it, about his wife… The insights are frequently dripping with sarcasm or irony, and that is where half the humor of this movie comes from. Even from the opening monologue, as we are introduced to Agromonte, the smallish town in which our protagonist resides, it’s clear what Germi is attacking with his wit and satire: the pseudo-marriage of Church and State, the ridiculous laws of the Italian government, and the misogynistic Italian way of life in general. He speaks of his hometown somewhat fondly, though he comments that of the 18,000 occupants 4,300 are illiterate and 1,700 are without jobs (he thinks himself better than others because of his high status), he goes on to say that there are 24 different cathedrals and churches (commenting on the ubiquitous presence of the church). The way that Ferdinando establishes the city, and further more the rest of the world in which he lives, is absolutely wonderful world-building. There are many times in this film when the people and residents of Agromonte reminded me of the richly detailed lives of the people in Fellini’s Armarcord. The running monologue is often melancholy, yet slightly sardonic as he comments on random people and happenings in his town. Where the writing really starts to show its wit is when the monologue interacts with the happenings in the film; there are times when a character will interrupt Ferdinando’s train of thought the monologue will stop- and then pick back up again after the interruption has ended. In a way, the monologue feels very Meta, as there are times when it seems to break the fourth wall. Also included with Ferdinando’s monologue are various imaginings of him killing his wife (it sounds morbid, I know). The ways that Ferdinando imagines carrying out this deed are frequently over the top and humorous: he imagines sending her into space on a rocket, stabbing her and mixing her body in with soap, and various other strange ways of doing away with her. The imagined killings are almost always made lighter by the troubled look on Mastroianni’s face. Another thing I like was the constant way Ferdinando prepares himself for a court case that he’s sure will happen eventually. He constantly says to himself: “Your Honor; Ladies and Gentlemen the Jury…” as if he’s already preparing his statements for when he murders Rosalia. Another thing that I loved about this film were all the layers of irony that just kept building upon itself. There’s a scene when Ferdinando finds a potential lover (Lando Buzzanca, “The Girl from Parma”) for his wife, and drills a hole in one of his walls so that he can drop a microphone in to record them. Fredinando waits and listens in his room, hoping the man will seduce his wife, but to no avail; his wife leaves the room and Fernando’s servant girl wanders into the room. The man begins flirting with the younger servant, and immediately Ferdinando jumps to his feet and runs down stairs, his inner monologue disgusted with the fact that the man would try to corrupt his servant. The irony in this scene and many others is so rich and so layered that it elevates the intelligence of the film greatly.
The direction was another thing that impressed me with this film; the way that Germi crafts this world makes it feel as if it doesn’t end with the edge of the frame, nor does the story end when the credits roll. This is a film so richly detailed that it feels as if the characters and situations are almost believable, were it not for the hilarity that pervaded the events. Mastroianni is amazing in everything I’ve seen him in; it’s a travesty he never won an Oscar, for he is truly one of cinema’s brightest shining stars. This film was actually recommended to me over a year ago, but I put it off until I glanced at it and saw Mastroianni starred. After I found out that tiny detail I watched the film the following day.
Verdict:
This film is a marvel and a masterpiece; it’s smarter than any comedy that comes out today and it still has moments that will make the viewer laugh out loud. The topics, while dark, are approached with a willy-nilly attitude that makes even the darkest scenes funny. This is a truly great film, and I can’t recommend it enough- to the right audience. For those who can’t find humor in situations of murder and infidelity, just don’t watch this movie- you won’t enjoy yourself. For everyone else- enjoy; this film is a blast.
Review Written By: