This is a movie that I wouldn't say that I was avoiding. I knew that this was Dario Argento breaking away from horror and when it didn't go well, he came back with a vengeance making Deep Red. What I will say is that I wasn't seeking this out, but I would have if I needed it to complete his filmography. Now I lucked out that the Wexner Center for the Arts was showing this as part of an Argento Retrospective in 4K in a theater.
What we are getting here is historically significant. The people of Milan are revolting against the Austrians. I learned this happened and led to the unification of Italy. That alone makes this interesting. We follow a thief named Cainazzo (Adriano Celentano) who breaks out of prison when a stray cannon ball busts a hole in the wall. He then runs into Romolo Marcelli (Enzo Cerusico) who is a baker. His uncle's shop that he works in gets destroyed. They have misadventures that include getting 'drafted' into a militia, helping a pregnant woman give birth and meeting odd groups of characters at different times.
I'm not sure the tone this movie was fully going for. I knew this was a black comedy. That is something I get. There is an interesting message as well. This goes slapstick and our duo feels like Abbott and Costello or Laurie and Hardy during those times. It goes quite bleak though as well. There is a message about wars being fought for the aristocracy and how the common people are just pawns. This is true. We see this even today. What I like is that the clergy and the nobility tell lies as well as just disinformation to empower the people to do what they want, under the guise that it helps them. The overall story here is that no matter who is in control, it is the same way of life unless the masses take control. Then it is called anarchy or socialism to strike fear. I love this message. It is just a bit muddled.
That's not to say that this isn't well-made. You can see Argento's artistic flair. The cinematography is great. It feels like the 1840s when this takes place. That being the costumes and the settings. You can feel the rich history of the latter. The acting is even good. What I have a problem with set pieces that we get. There is a rape scene of a woman with the enemy. That bothered me. There is nudity that feels a bit excessive.
Even with my issues, this is a good movie. I can only recommend it to Argento completists or to those interested in Italian history. An interesting look at a time period I know little about. This is a bit messy at times. The comedy doesn't necessarily land and the tone is off at times. None of this ruins it though either.
My Rating: 7 out of 10.
What we are getting here is historically significant. The people of Milan are revolting against the Austrians. I learned this happened and led to the unification of Italy. That alone makes this interesting. We follow a thief named Cainazzo (Adriano Celentano) who breaks out of prison when a stray cannon ball busts a hole in the wall. He then runs into Romolo Marcelli (Enzo Cerusico) who is a baker. His uncle's shop that he works in gets destroyed. They have misadventures that include getting 'drafted' into a militia, helping a pregnant woman give birth and meeting odd groups of characters at different times.
I'm not sure the tone this movie was fully going for. I knew this was a black comedy. That is something I get. There is an interesting message as well. This goes slapstick and our duo feels like Abbott and Costello or Laurie and Hardy during those times. It goes quite bleak though as well. There is a message about wars being fought for the aristocracy and how the common people are just pawns. This is true. We see this even today. What I like is that the clergy and the nobility tell lies as well as just disinformation to empower the people to do what they want, under the guise that it helps them. The overall story here is that no matter who is in control, it is the same way of life unless the masses take control. Then it is called anarchy or socialism to strike fear. I love this message. It is just a bit muddled.
That's not to say that this isn't well-made. You can see Argento's artistic flair. The cinematography is great. It feels like the 1840s when this takes place. That being the costumes and the settings. You can feel the rich history of the latter. The acting is even good. What I have a problem with set pieces that we get. There is a rape scene of a woman with the enemy. That bothered me. There is nudity that feels a bit excessive.
Even with my issues, this is a good movie. I can only recommend it to Argento completists or to those interested in Italian history. An interesting look at a time period I know little about. This is a bit messy at times. The comedy doesn't necessarily land and the tone is off at times. None of this ruins it though either.
My Rating: 7 out of 10.