The Best Italian Movies, and the Best Italian Comedies
I believe that Italian movies are essential to understanding Life
in Italy. La commedia all' Italiana shows best of Italy, always with
a touch of irony.
The following films
show scenes of Italian life from a particular period and take Italians
to times gone by. For example, the black and white movie 'poveri ma
belli' shows scenes of Rome and a "stabilimento balneare" on the river
Tevere - with the actual actors swimming in the Rome river Tevere -
scenes now - due to the pollution of the Tevere - impossible to imagine.
Scenes from 'Prof Guido Tersilli, a comedy based on the reality of the
time - depict problems with the mutual and the private clinic / hospitals
in Rome. Finally, with the latest trends from Pieraccioni in ' Il
Ciclone' showing beautiful Tuscany country scenes …. Anyway most
of this movie list will show you a different face of …Life in Italy
Above: One of the pest scenes by Alberto Sordi : Il Dentone
Commedia All' Italiana Just After WW2
Italian comedies started in earnest after War World II. Among all
the actors of that period, Toto' was the most famous.
In his best movies, Toto' teamed up with some of the best post-war
comic actors such as Fabrizi or Peppino de Filippo. Toto acted in so
many films that he was once considered only a third rate actor.However,
he is now considered (at least by many) to have been a comic genius.
Here are some of the best movies by Toto' (Toto' made more
than 80 movies):
I tartassati - Toto' - Fabrizi
Toto' truffa 62
Toto' Peppino e la Malafemmina - Toto' & Peppino de Filippo
Miseria e Nobilta'
La Banda degli Onesti
Above: a short from Toto' Fabrizi e i Giovani d' oggi
Other Italian film titles from the '50s and '60s include:
'Poveri ma belli' - was a comic success in postwar Italy
'Pane Amore e Fantasia' - Vittorio De Sica e Gina Lollobrigida
Other notable actors from the period were Walter Chiari, Gino Bramieri,
and Mario Carotenuto
Some of their films are:
-Accadde al Penitenziario
The Italian Films of the '60s and '70s
Following the economic boom in Italy, new comics emerged.Extremely
important for those who want to understand Italian culture are actors
such as Ugo Tognazzi (who sometimes teamed up with Raimondo Vianello),
Vittorio Gassman, Nino Manfredi, and Alberto Sordi. Here are some of
the best films from the '60s and '70s:
I due Capitani. . . Sordi
Riusciranno i nostri eroi a trovare l' amico scomparso in Africa
?... a Sordi film
Straziami ma di baci saziami ... Nino Manfredi
Bello Onesto Emigrato Australia… Alberto Sordi, Claudia Cardinale
1971
I soliti ignoti ** ( Big deal on Madonna street )
Americano a Roma . . . Alberto Sordi
Il Vigile . . . Alberto Sordi
La grande Guerra (A masterpiece) . . . Sordi,Gasmann -
I think Alberto Sordi's best acting was in 'Dentone' in the
movie:
"I complessi" - Movie in 3 episode
Guido Tersilli, ' Il medico dell mutua": A Sordi
Presidente del Borgorosso Fottball club (il), A Sordi
Il marchese del Grillo Alberto Sordi
Other actors that emerged around the middle of the 60s and were once
considered B-class comics are Ciccio e Franco. Like Toto', today their
type of comedy has been re-evaluated and is appreciated. Their
best films include: