VIVA ITALIA
Italy, 1978, 115 minutes, Colour.
Alberto Sordi, Ugo Tognazzi, Vittorio Gassman, Ornella Muti.
Directed by Mario Monicelli, Ettore Scola, Dino Risi.
Viva Italia is an entertaining film satirising Italians and their way of life in the '70s. It is an unusual kind of film insofar as it is a series of sketches. Most of these are very well done in themselves - but the overall effect of the collection and their juxtaposition is strange. It is satisfying in its way, but one wants more of several of them. They move very quickly also from one to the other. Three directors are responsible: Mario Monicelli, a director of light satiric comedies; Dino Risi, a director of more sardonic commentaries on Italian way of life; Ettore Scola. a director with a more gentle touch, e.g. A Special Day and We All Loved One Another So Much.
The film was also a showcase for three prominent Italian actors: Vittorio Gassman who is excellent, especially as a cardinal; Alberto Sordi who excels in three very different roles; Ugo Tognazzi who has less spectacular roles than the former two actors. Quite a deal is said quite sarcastically as well as partly affectionately about the Italian people. However, there are strong attacks on government, the church, the wealthy. There are some insights also of a more universal nature - children and their putting parents into old age homes, and an excellent cigarette ad-looking episode which ultimately turns into a terrorist manoeuvre. For those who enjoy Italian films.
1. The impact of the satiric comment on Italy, the Italians, Italian institutions? How much affection in the satire? How critical?
2. The reputation of the stars and the directors, their particular skills, their contribution to the tone of the film? 3. The quality of the stories - the brevity, the variety of themes, the juxtaposition of each story with the other, the overall effect of the collection?
4. The stories in themselves:
(a) Fiorella and her being a popular singer, her husband and his urging the people on, his using his wife and the sexual innuendo, her loss of voice, his dominating her with contracts and further engagements while seeming to protect her? A comment on marital relationships?
(b) The radical priest and his urging his parish council to social reform? The validity of this presentation of the priest? The ordinary people and their fighting, the priest's exasperation? The cardinal and his arrival, his assistant? The contrast in dress and the discussions about the cassock? The cardinal and his gracious listening, his interfering, his innuendo, his abusing the people? His moving to the pulpit and haranguing them? His reverting to the status quo and the anger of the priest, his comment about the cardinal conning the congregation? The cardinal urging them to sing hymns and the people all succumbing to ring the bell, play the organ etc.? His final blessing and leaving them exactly as they were before? The use and abuse of religion? How telling the criticism?
(c) The skill of Vittorio Gassman in presenting the distraught husband wanting his kidnapped wife back? The television personnel and their leaving? The ironic touch in talking about the telephone and showing that it was broken - and leaving the episode at that?
(d) The wealthy driver and the wealthy class in Rome, their discussion about religion, connections with the Pope, the schism of Archbishop Lefebvre? The man who was run over and the driver actually taking him into the car (and the comment about his blood)? The driver and his incessant talk, his self-revelation and his arrogance, superficiality? His lack of regard? A satirical comment on affluence - the connection between religion and sexuality, the focus on orgies in his discussion? The satire on care for people, the reaction of the various hospitals - the hospital that was full with the Dutch tourists, the nun refusing emergencies after 11 o'clock, the two men playing cards who wouldn't help, the military hospital who would only take men on active service? The irony of the driver bringing the victim back to where he started? The film's comment on the wealthy, human callousness?
(e) The satire in the discussion by the producer about pornographic film? The discussion about nudity and sexuality? The monkey? The presentation of the actor and actress and their rationalising the film and the five days' work? The double irony when it emerged they were talking of their Lolita-type daughter? The comment on the Italian film industry, double talk?
(f) The story of the son taking his mother for an outing? Its seeming reasonableness? The very gradual build-up of the tension between son and mother? The lack of outings, the mother as an imposition, the tour around Row, her ice cream sundae? The ride in the country and the gradual ominous revelation that she was being taken to an old people's home? The satirical tour through the hone itself? The people singing, painting, sleeping, complaining? The nuns and their harsh discipline? Hitting the people? The full revelation that the mother was to be dumped there? The persuasive double talk about it being a hotel and the son's making a favourable comment on every disadvantage in the place? The irony of the mother actually deciding to stay? The phone call to Patricia? The case in the back of the car? The mother seeing through the son and farewelling him? The universal comment about family relationships and the aged?
(g) The farcical sequence in the restaurant - the fashionable group wanting the special meal? The fight and its dramatisation in the kitchen? The group finding the meal tasty? The homosexual overtones of the two cooks fighting and making up?
(h) The cigarette commercial style and romantic story of the hostess, her swimming, the suave man at the poolside, their interaction, dancing, smoking, the night together? The point of the cigarette commercial style and its glamour? The farewell at the airport? The heavy irony with the information about the exploding plane? The jolt at the end of this story?
(i) The transition from the smooth story to the funeral - the background of the theatre and the affection for the comic routines, the Italians' attitude towards death, the oratory at the graveside - and the straight man's comments on his comic companion? The starting of the routines, the farcical weeping and the changing to laughing, the song and dance routines at the cemetery - a celebration of Italy's resilience?
5. The framework of the film: the range of couples dancing at the beginning, an image of the panorama of Italian people? The range of attitudes shown and expressed throughout the film? The finale with its humour and optimism? Did the film justify its title?
