Poverty, Misery, War and Other Comic Material: An Interview with Mario Monicelli Author(s): Deborah Young and

Mario Monicelli Source: Cinaste, Vol. 29, No. 4 (FALL 2004), pp. 36-40 Published by: Cineaste Publishers, Inc Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41689775 . Accessed: 22/04/2014 21:46
Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

Cineaste Publishers, Inc is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Cinaste.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 181.118.153.57 on Tue, 22 Apr 2014 21:46:42 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

Poverty, and An Other Interview Young

Misery, Comic with Mario

War Material: Monicelli "D 3" O O CT a Oo C c 3 CO

by Deborah

andwas I sawBigDeal on Madonna Street Withhis Cineaste: Monicelli is theking recently again ofItalian comedy. about ? humor and Howdiditcome Tuscan senseofhumor and socialconscience struck its by proverbial freshness. film butborn It'san ensemble likeTheOrganizer, Mario other anarchical Tuscan , Roberto , he MarioMonicelli: (think Benigni) ofthat White work. ina different Visconti hadjustfinished haslaidthe onwhich others have built Nights. way. shooting pillars flimsier ofa genre at setofthe ofLeghorn and is He hadthem construct a huge, fine His writing anddirecting career hasspanned port sixty-nine years very - more I was Atthetime, use it.It wasstill TVfiction two Cinecitt, butdidn't still than sixty standing. counting feature films, (including whowas Visconti's with theater contract with Franco SusoCecchi Cristaldi, D'Amico), producer, from under teleplays scriptwriter pieces I hadalready worked. He saidto me with whom Arsenic and Old Lace tooriginal he's a friend ofmine playsand opera.Currently, an seeifyoucancome a major new setin Libya aboutthe [andscriptwriters] Desert Roses, upwith AgeandScarpelli, preparing feature Italianarmy's World WarII. A ideatousethis setina film. invasion ofthatcountry during wasthe course. Cineaste:That of BigDeal?/ comedy, beginning of various is we cameup with It is startling toremember Monicelli wasconsid- Monicelli: No, no. Thetruth that, decades, [Laughs] for them andwe sethad nothing to do with ered a mere whose hits puthim ideas,buttheLeghorn craftsman long string ofcommercial But on location. needit;intheendweshot he recounts, came never usedit.Wedidn't beneath critical consideration. Theturning point, from thelowest echelons us to make a film about when in a little cinema on the itinspired Street people BigDeal on Madonna opened the it tenaciously heldon until the ofsociety, outskirts week, subproletariat. ofParis.Week after a There's a boxer, arequite a mix Parisian at that did Cineaste: Thecharacters started it.Positively. of failures. Only point papers reviewing sister locked a Sicilian who his the Italian critics situpandtake notice man one who, later, photographer, upathome... year keeps beautiful ofthe notworkers likein TheOrganizer. win inVenice TheGreat War. Monicelli: would the Golden Lion Yes,they're They're for Another reason In the two-bit Hisinfluence onpostwar Italian cinema hasbeen thieves, work-shirkers, good-for-nothings. prodigious. a French hadjustcomeout thefilm wasthat lateForties andFifties he tallied credit on up tonine formaking picture screenwriting - Vittorio film in which a It's a great a year, De directed DassincalledRififit. some works byJules key ofthe period films including ofthe for a bank In the of criminals Sica' s TheChildren Pietro Germi' s the Name of Are robbery, gettogether Watching, group professional Ouridea scientific. the which is very wellplanned, and(uncredited) De Santis's Bitter Rice.Directing dramatic, Law, very very Giuseppe In ourfilm thecharacters inItaly as Charlie actor Tot it,to makea parody. (aspopular Chap- wasto caricature legendary Neapolitan well but want todo something hebecame a father all'italiana even con- keep commedia scientific, lin), organized, saying they ofthe before - Big in reality them Thehumor comes from hisinternational with a trio incompetent. they're totally reputation ofmasterpieces solidating than are. much and more Deal on Madonna TheGreat War(La wanting todosomething Street 1958), (I soliti important they bigger ignoti, other Italian Cineaste: Now as a model 1963). 1959)andTheOrganizer (I compagni, for films. BigDealserves grande guerra, a goodsign! bitter social Monicelli: That's reaches its embed comedy peakinthe waythey effortlessly - Vittorio inyour inlaugh-out-loud humor. Cineaste: Weseea lotofthesameactors films critique ityour Salvatori. Was A sadsignpost the was the Marcello Renato would Gassman, Mastroianni, (some tombstone) say for genre ' towork with a stock death onJune 4th this Nino the last company? year fivemus- intention of Manfredi, ofthe in so I usedsome ofthem Marcello Monicelli: were allgoodactors, keteers' Italian He was No,they of comedy. preceded byUgoTognazzi, Tunisian I 'invented' Claudia Cardinale. Shewasa little allactors Monicelli other films. Vittorio andAlberto Mastroianni, Gassman, Sordi, French. Shehadnever in wry, girl whodidn't even shespoke worked with their Italian, speak frequently, unforgettable faces recombining Sicilian brother film The actor who her one wonders made a before. sometimes roles. bittersweet, on, played Forty years slapstick ina who inTheGreat where Italian cinema will andfilms, likethese As [Tiberio actors, War]wasa waiter reappears find again. Murgia, I to Carlo who the Monicelli the wave restaurant where used eat. social conditions have Pisacane, p ayed old yet suggests, changed, of globmixed sketches on stage. It was i very alization holds much in thewayof Campanella, didNeapolitan world the, sweeping potentially - for actor whocamefrom a broad for wasa dramatic comic material those toembrace vision example, of cast.Gassman, fearless enough I hada lotoftrouble inallits hebecame a comic actor later. andtragedy andtohighlight its theater, casting life comedy paradoxes. LuxVides Monicelli made social himbecauseCristaldi and theproduction hascontributed toseveral company Recently collectively I wanted. In theend wantGassman or many oftheactors documentaries. He was among the Italiandirectors who didn't fifty-five the film. were came around tomy ofview andmade worked onthe 2001documentary Another World Is Possible, recount-they point They it because at that time couldn't the G8 summit and demonstrations in concerned would the Genoa, flop, you terribly ing antiglobalization isn' happy, it's... a comedy without a happy Theending which a protestor waskilled Ashedeclared tothe make ending. during bythe police. andI Cineaste: Ironic. been on theleft Corriere dellaSera:"I havealways newspaper Allmy comedies endinfailure. buta failure. don't seewhy I should mind now. TheSeattle aren't Monicelli: Yes,ironic, my people change film itmade a lot ofmoney. never end well. But when the came Howcanyou with out, them, They communist, they're anticapitalist. failtoagree and character itsoriginal when hasbeen the most ruthless , BigDeal is story century?" Cineaste:Apart from capitalism ideology ofthis Di Gianni Thecinematographs, Ever at the isingreat demand at notable active Monicelli photography. eighty-nine, foritsrefined ageof and In at in old some shots. travels his Venanzo, festivals apartment designed amazing frequently.January, - hewasa great of master inthe wemet with him to Monicelli: There areextraordinary shadow Rome, Colosseum, things practically ofthe died atfifty. Italian learned from him. He discuss his career. Deborah DPs, Young young, many highlights from long 36 CINEASTE, Fall2004

This content downloaded from 181.118.153.57 on Tue, 22 Apr 2014 21:46:42 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

left toright, areportrayed, inMonicelli's Street The ofcriminal misfits classic DealonMadonna (1958) gang Big of Mastroianni Gassman andMarcello Memmo Tiberio Vittorio Photofest) courtesy Salvatori, Carotenuto, (photo byRenato Murgia, know War.I think they didn't The 1959 TheGreat Cineasta: , youmade anything. year, following a precedent. established So the Cineaste: Rotunno shot that. actually film Giuseppe wasit. success. So that Monicelli: Anditwasa huge Monicelli: heshot TheOrganizer, too. Yesy less andwhitey is much inblack shot I wasreflecting in the Cineaste: Cineaste:His dramatic useofVistaVision and depth thaty of field where Private war than isfamous. antimilitaristic Wasitdifficult todoan antiwar, , like sayy Ryan, today Saving films film film? realistic inbright red. arevisualized andthe horrors Monicelli: difficult. ofwar ofblood flow Very Theydidn'twantto makeit.Whenit rivers and even of truth all directors with Monicelli: The becameknown thatI, a director of comicfilms, is, younger my age working - evensomeofmy oneswould wants No valid director inblack andwhite. like toshoot whohadworked writers with meon comedies - wanted ofthing. andthat kind incolor. for musicals Totpictures to make a film World abouttheFirst War, toshoot They'd Except inblack andwhite. lovestories it even toshoot thenewspapers rebelled! prefer saying Theywrotelongeditorials, likes Theaudience isemphasized. shouldn't be allowed, because thewarwasconsidered Today effects, special everything up to then, - a great I shotThe when no special effects Butthere were effects. the warof emphatic untouchable event, bytheItalians extraordinary, noneed. there was how todothem. War. know Wedidn't etc.Theofficial version had itthat Italian Besides, independence, everyone Great that make a like Can went off to and this Cineaste: today? you film kept happy fight. They emphasizing glorifying warin about the tomake a film Sure 'Great War.'SinceI knew it wasn't I wanted to saythe Monicelli: likethat, youcan.I'mtrying the Afrika the the Second World of of fascism. what had been Germans, War, Africa, Korps, opposite repeated twenty years through In Libya. allthat. That'swhy didn't wantto makeit. In fact at one pointthe Rommel, they ElAlamein a film called Monteleone made of Cineaste: Enzo Dino De Laurentiis from theMinistry recently. producer gotsupport - they I want to orexalt war. El Alamein I don't want toglorify such. Monicelli: Defense were togive usweapons ortanks orsome going - as usual, andled,and conducted as they were Whenthey sawthat wasagainst withdrew their showthings thepress it,they badly for. were what tofight, orknowing ButDe Laurentiis madeit anyway. He was courageous, noonewanting My they fighting support. is in a very thesame.The film film attitude remains because itwasa very for itstime. Right early stage. expensive alone. an outcry nowI'mwriting Cineaste: What it cameout ? Wasthere happened after Will itbea comedy? Cineaste: tothe war? your approach against Ofcourse. Warhaseverything. started Monicelli: Monicelli: No! From thetime itcameout,people [Laughs] - that with writers itwasbadly Cineaste:Twoofthe about World WarI like wedidinthefilm mosty youhaveworked screenplay talking with TheOrganizer andFurio , wrote conducted, Incrocci) Scarpelli badlyled,fought bypoor peoplewho didn'tknow Age(Agenore didthe ideacome Where whowere and illiterate. ofthe you. from? original percent anything, ignorant Seventy with a lot of films The idea was mine.I likemaking was illiterate then. were, Monicelli: country Theydidn'tknowwhere they charbetween various connections where there are where were where Trieste were actors, was, multiple they going, why they fighting Fall2004 37 CINEASTE,

This content downloaded from 181.118.153.57 on Tue, 22 Apr 2014 21:46:42 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

not and Berkcharacters, justtwo University actors to each relating eley and art-house other. I've madea lot theaters. American dirof'choral' or ensemble ectors liked it, too. let'scallthem. I When I meet them, films, wasin Paris with all remember The [prothey ducer Cristaldi Franco] Organizer. and thinkingabout Cineaste: Thedynahow I could use my micsoffilmmaking in the when the 1960s, left-wing background film in a way thatwould was made,werevery interest memost. I had different fromtoday. madeBigDeal onMaWasiteasier orharder donna Street with to then? him, finance films which hadalso useda Monicelli: Itwasmuch ofcharacters. I becauseItalian easier, group saidI'd liketo makea cinema was much film about howa strike moreimportant even comes into being. It in Italy. It was very wouldultimately and so it was fail, popular but there would be to find a producer easy or financier. Italian humorous,amusing with oldand films were more moments, popuworkers. He said larthan American ones young Professor a labor Turin (Marcello Mastroianni), organizer, Sinigaglia encourages factory here, OK. I talked to Age workers so it was a good togoonstrike inMonicelli's of The (1963) (photo Photofest). courtesy Organizer and Scarpelliand we investment. Today it started tothink. Since there's a lotofmaterial onstrikes inTurin, we would beimpossible, for a political like The particularly subject Organizer. went there andworked onthis idea. Cineaste: Did the the story film enjoy anykind ofrevival period during of Cineaste: Wasitshot there ? the 1968 andinthe Seventies? extra-parliamentary groups after Monicelli: to doublefora late-nineteenthIn Italy, Monicelli: as elsewhere I imagine, don't films rereleased. No, it'stoo modern get It waslargely in Zagreb, shot where wefound thefac- Butitgotlotsandlotsofscreenings in schools andunversities and century city. - toomany, the steam andso on,andpartly inCuneo, near Turin. art theaters even. tories, engine, Cineaste: Atthe endofthe the violence I sawLaugh strikers return Cineaste: for inan , the [akaThePassionate Thief/ film, after recently Joy towork. Debate inAmerican labor circles over whether this is art theater tothe Cineteca behind the Trevi Fountain. Nazionale, rages belonging meant toindicate the strike hasbeen broken. Monicelli: that film with AnnaMagnani They're always showing Monicelli: Oh yes, thestrike fails. fails. The strike fails andTot!I have I go.I'm a lotoffilms that areshown. callme, Everything They becausethey wereunprepared, becauseit was thefirst timethe even a little tired ofit, the same the same the films, always questions, workers went on strike. There wasonly one person, theorganizer sameanswers. now or I've it's been directed By forty fifty years. - a few what wouldhappen sixtyfive feature films toomany! , whoknew Mastroianni] [played byMarcello andhesent them tocertain defeat. Buthebelieved itwasright The GreatWar,a restored that, Cineaste: Alongwith print ofThe even ifthey learned that social andpolitical battles must be Brancaleone at Venice wasscreened lost, (L'armata Brancaleone) they Army Itwasa way tolearn howtofight. last Itwasa real to where fought. year, youwere president ofthe jury. pleasure Cineaste: Theending isa little because the viewer look at.Again, a film it's that talks about the view ambiguous, maybe history from point of wants the workers towin somuch. humble the little ofthe people, guy. Monicelli: There's no ambiguity abouttheir defeat. On Monicelli: another ofpeople whoareinadequate for absolutely They're group thecontrary, it'stotal. There's eventhelittle at hand. to do something than boyoftenor eleven theundertaking They aspire greater whogoes off towork atthe end. butthey're Their to occupy a feudal themselves, incapable. attempt - likein all myfilms - butitallows Cineaste: Weassume that the theme isthe on. castle fails us to bring outthe film's struggle goes Monicelli: Thestruggle theorganizer, andentertainment andsometimes oftheir the drama situation. goeson.Mastroianni, goesto humor another manplayed whoruns AllItalian is dramatic. Thesituation is always Salvatori, dramatic, jail,butthere's byRenato comedy toanother todo thesame hedid.It'slike on often butit'streated ina humorous Butpeople dieinit, away city thing passing tragic, way. thetorch. Thiswasthebeginning, at least in Italy at theendofthe there's no happy That's justwhat peoplelikeaboutit.It ending. nineteenth ofthe social movements. deals with In MyFriends illness. death, Miei, (Amici century, poverty, hunger, Cineaste: What kind andlong-term did the these kids who aren't characters, adults, 1975), ofimmediate impact film they're professional - actlike have inItaly ? a surgeon, a lawyer kids. Yetit'sdramatic, because people, Monicelli: It wasa bigflop in Italy, it was successful over to theendoflife, old ageadvancing. It death, though they're trying escape time. TheItalian I compagni contributed to endswith oneofthem TheItalian I make, thekind title, (TheCompanions), comedy, dying. itsproblems. It wasa very moment for thecountry, always hasthis complicated component. because theSocialist andtheCommunist Cineaste: back toTheBrancaleone what wasthe main politically speaking, Party Army, Going were TheSocialist wanted todetach itself from ideabehind the Party together. Party film? theCommunist andallyitself with theChristian Democrats. Monicelli: I wanted What to do wasto puttheMiddle on the Party Ages intheprocess were offighting about this. So TheCompanionsscreen. to thewaywe studied theperiod in Italy andall They According sounded like af film for radical workers' Lotta overEurope, it was supposed to be a timeofcastles, fair ladies, [the propaganda group] No onewent to seeit,neither thebourgeoisie whodidn't tournaments, a great civilization. itisn't true. The Well, Operaia. high-quality - themost want toseea pro-working-class northe film, propaganda proletariatMiddleAgeswas thelow pointin European history whowere fedup with know-it-all films aboutworkers. But uncivilized, era.Civilization, andscience barbarous truth, seeing savage, later itenjoyed I still success. calls totake indebates on were on theother side:thesideofIslam. That's what theCrusades great get part it.Actually, thefilm wasa lotmore successful in theUnited States wereall about.We went to occupy more were placeswhere they than in Italy. It went wellthere, that Italian films civilized. I wanted Ofcourse, wewere toshow this wasthe very considering repulsed. - barbaricand uncivilized, don't get regular commercial release.It playedat Columbia real Middle Ages in Italy savage, 38 CINEASTE, Fall2004

This content downloaded from 181.118.153.57 on Tue, 22 Apr 2014 21:46:42 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

itfeatures oneof Alberto Sordi* sfinest There, too,I ranintoa lot of grotesque. things, inthe onfilm role trouble,because they had me go to performances ofthe father. universities anddebate with The Monicelli:Exactly, becausegreat comic professors. students all agreed with me (because actors likeSordiarealways dramatic they great thefilm), whiletheir actors. All ofthem. Buta great dramatic enjoyed professors claimedI was exaggerating and saying actorisn'tnecessarily a great comedian. thatweren't true.But Sordi wasa great actor. things completely I wanted were.Anyway, to makea film That wasalsoinspired cornthey by things - even comic film there were from theU.S. It was a periodin funny, though coming - and that dramatic moments and deaths when there were a lotofrobberies and Italy went common a opinion. against pursesnatchings, juvenile delinquency, Cineaste: The interesting about lot of broke thing personal insecurity. Burglars Brancaleone is thewayyoucontrast the into homes torobthem. IntheU.S. were they realism inherent in using realcastles, woods films suchas Death Wish, films , making thechanging seasons about , and so on, witha vigilantes... and characters. There's the Cineaste: ...like Charles Bronson... story grotesque horse... a slew I Monicelli: were ofthem. Yes,there yellow Monicelli: ...and the decadent wanted to makea film that usedthesame Byzantines... Cineaste:...with Barbara Steele shot a like in Italywas idea, becausethesituation horror queen. comparable.The filmscomingout of Monicelli: America sidedwith themanwho Yes,it was doneforthat, too, always but historically it was true.As forthe I wanted himself. to show he was revenges Piero the and So I usedan actor whowasreally Gherardi, images, production wrong. costume was a great beloved a comic, andturned designer, help.The bytheItalians, wasbyCarloDi Palma, who's himinto a monster. Asthough tosay, look, photography oneofthe even a person whom greats.1 youlove, youidentify Gassman a knight the withand who'spopular, Cineaste: Thefilmis shotin a totally Vittorio portrays during can turn intoa in Crusades Monicelli's historical The comedy, other work the ifhe tries monster inhis to take style different from your of vengeance of Brancaleone (1966) Photofest). (photo courtesy Army Itopens with a credits that is ownhands. When thefilm cameoutthere period. sequence ananimated andthe seems totake its that. wasa lotofdiscussion aboutitsmeaning. Someviewers realized cartoon, style inspiration from Monicelli: It's somewhere between taleand reality butvery what I wanted to say, I wassaying while others theavenger fairy thought ironic andvery There arebattles, deaths. wasright. ButI wanted this to happen, anditdidn't me.I realistic, hard, tough. fights, surprise Cineaste: The contrasts areits made the character film's strong strength. deliberately ambiguous. I think Monicelli: so. I don't know howthey totranslate it Cineaste: did choose Winters as Sordi s wife ? managed Why you Shelley becausetheamusing aboutit is thelanguage Monicelli: She was married to I Vittorio Gassman and knew her. abroad, thing they Weinvented an Italian that didn't exist. Theproducers didn't She'san extraordinary at bothcomedy anddrama. I actress, speak. great wantto makethepicture; said no one wouldunderstand a wanted toputthese two ofhers Herfirst film, they personalities together. I gaveup mydirector's word. andsaidI wouldrisk italong A Placein theSundirected Stevens and basedon the salary byGeorge with andthey were convinced. Inthe endthe film didvery well! famous American wasgreat. them, novel, I heardtheonlyplacewhere dubbedit really Oneofthe most memorable about the isway well,with Cineaste: they things film you from the fifteenth-sixteenth wasGermany. show Sordi as a little bureaucrat. language century, office Cineaste: Parts make Mussolini... Monicelli:Now thatwas theItaliancomedy it ofthe film fun of fascism, part.It's funny, Monicelli: do. I wasborn with a certain Therelationship between theemployees whohate Yes,all myfilms left-wingmakes youlaugh. conscience or wayof eachother, that wasall I was more thinking. comedy.I wantedto socialist than commake a comedythat - well,socialmunist turnedinto tragedy communist. Butwhatwithout The warning. ever filmyou make, boss with his dan- thatwas slapevenifit'sa lovestory druff I never made stuff. stick To shoot the (though one), whatyou have partabout the Freeinside you in your masons, I went and DNA- the socialist up as a mason signed to see how theydid part,theleftist part, - I thesocial consciousIt's all true things. - is always ness part didn't invent anything. Cineaste: Yourpregoing to come out, evenwithout viousfilm, Caro Miknowing without chele(1976), is setat it, trying. Cineaste: Is interthe beginning of the Seventies and talks estingto look at Un aboutthe movepiccolo borghese ^picyouth colo (1977),which exment had Italy just gone amines the rise ofa very through. - or Monicelli: Morethan personal fascism better elseit'sbased , a revenge-based anything - inan ordinary sadism on a very fine novel by manwhose sonis mur- Vittorio NataliaGinzburg. She Gassman andAlberto Sordi intheItalian reluctant recruits (left) portray dered. Amongother army I inMonicelli's World War of The Great War about theendof (1959) Photofest). wrote during (photo courtesy Fall2004 39 CINEASTE,

This content downloaded from 181.118.153.57 on Tue, 22 Apr 2014 21:46:42 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

Nowit's social structure. with have the things had gonethrough whosemembers middle class, Italy's changed, beginning upper Italy's inditches. wasoncelike andliving tofind else in thewar's hard into something waronlyto be transformed Italy people starving and dramatic Butyoucouldmakeit.The more nowit isn't. the that; wasended Their aftermath. bythenewgenerations, wayoflife tomake material comic themore themoment, thatsweptup youngpeople and difficult youcanfind post-'68wave of liberation in a wake. Ren in a funeral, humor You can find to leavethe Italian free in Italy weren't Before that, comedy. girls especially girls. The ofthing. andthat on funerals Thenthey Clairbasedhiscomicality ontothem. mothers their andwalk house around; type hung on a deal draws of true director the true also one but andindependent free Itwasa very comic, rebelled. great comedy, generation, ondramatic andmisery, was poverty things. lackingvalues.Whilethe older generation substantially in Un borghese scene forfamily Cineaste:Ym reminded withitsrespect life, outrageous ofthat upper-middle-class disappearing, where Sordi ends when new piccolo topieces andso on,wassmashed cemetery values, upinan overcrowded piccolo bythose relationships, a final instacked arestored or the without Melato a girl place resting for coffins, waiting corpses background plays Mariangela generations. ' - a character to'open wasincon-ceivable. time whouptothat ground. up onthe origins The it'salmost Butthat's that mo- Monicelli: and photograph farcical, I wanted to follow thenovelclosely forced, slapstick. Exactly. dramatic. and is Italian of civil from a very wepassed inItaly when ment old,very extremely comedyvery tough bourgeoisie subject typical admire directors or Are there ofthe Cineaste: to therevolution with others whorespected today? you films particular rela-tionships - there's a lackof Monicelli:Not so many.I don'tknowwhy those values. lessabout care whocould new generation ofRoberto think Butit'sstill actors. havemuch doesn't Just Cineaste: Thefilm writers, , the directors, possible. forMichele sympathy he madepeople in theworld: He did thehardest would-be thing Benigni. revolutionary. in a concentration in thefilm. He wasoneofthose laughat whatwas happening He never evenappears Monicelli: camp.Typical - buthe did it.From a terrible, almost Thefamily atdemonstrations. around kids whowent impossible comedy, keeps Italian fighting Italian This is classical he created horrible know don't but him he's their because about son, comedy. comedy. subject they only talking howtodo it. know Like Italians in Holland. with thepolice He diesina clash he'sdoing. what vision kind havethis Allyour Cineaste: three I sawinGenoa the demonstrations of ofa Shakespearean films years ago. thetragic sideof whois Cineaste:Thebookseller blendtng life, humorous. with the Michelet close friendis an things whatlifeis. That's Monicelli: to He seems figure. interesting I invented it. It'snotlike between the oldandnew mediate there Cineaste: Unfortunately, worlds. in Italy a lotofdirectors aren't he's Yes.In thefilm Monicelli: to ambition whohavethe I had a homosexual. today obviously inits actorLou Castel theSwedish totality. life express were Monicelli:Becausethey time was whoat that him, play and social in a different born of thevery symbol masculinity born We were climate. in Italy.There,too, thepropolitical - not to wewent thedictatorship, under ducerwas perplexed the to war,we livedthrough mention Castel himself. war, then we wentthrough Cineaste: How did you cast the country. GianHawn as Giancarlo Goldie reconstructing we all thedifficulties Even with and nini' in Lovers s girlfriend we were con Liars Anita, happy, lighthearted, 1978)? (Viaggio weregladthedictatorship fell, Monicelli:GoldieHawn was the was lost the war in a very chosen by happy peculiar way. - even fascists,the Italians wasn't Thecharacter supposed - andby Italian wewere atall.Thestory tobe American though theNazis.So wehada different whohada wasabout Giannini, inRome in ofpickpockets a team andTot portray Magnani We were to reality. Italian Anna andwasa typical relationship family of Thief The Passionate Monicelli's Photofest). (1960) courtesy (photo to wehadtofind allpoor, husband whoranaround.He ways feed couldn't brothers. like home atseventeen, that cameright get a little on theside.Thething hada mistress, They my by.I left thing with MomandDad till kids liveathome ofhisfather, us athome. wasthewayhe tookadvantage outofItalian they're Today comedy - the aremore the ormore. or thirty for three inhishometown, hisfamily toleave who wasdying back courageous. boys girls Especially TV... tothe areglued most know were Cineaste: with him.Shedidn't hismistress four Today people they days, taking a trip. Monicelli:...watching were to seea deadman;shethought dancing girlsand gameshowsoffering justtaking they going hadnothing todo with money. Shehadtobe Italian, yousee.AnAmerican on ononeside, the world there: a paradox with thestory. him,and why Cineaste:There's escapism Whyshouldhe takean American other. know the AndGoldieHawndidn't shego?It madeno sense. should do: emphasize should or a writer what a director That's Monicelli: todo,either. what shewassupposed and muchmore has becomemuchmorefrivolous that.Society her? Then hire Cineaste: why Don'tyousee count. doesn't Nowa single whomadetheSergio fearful. theproducer, Because Monicelli: Grimaldi, society country's and to from America atall what's toconquer Albania, wasgoing andwant-ed Leone Libya, films, Theycomefrom happening? strong The world of peopledrown. milesof sea, hundreds America.No one has ever crossfifty to conquer costs.All Italianswant and bad. and dangerous, so grave is so dramatic, Shewas a situation we castan American. He insisted succeeded. ugly [Laughs] - and she Globalization - a TV star could be made A lotofcomedies is a miserable Butat that time shewasa star thing. goodactress. world in the what's at make us to films. made we all of us wasvery Italians, happening dramatically, laugh, porn thinking suspicious the It'sa very, this or today. heror show to undress moment, worried we'dtry Shewasconstantly preoccupying, very very dangerous to moment It's a before. been seen has never which likes of a lukewarm Thefilm that. perfect reception. got is a make as Italiancomedy however Cineaste: Todayy , whatwe know comedy. Is the direction. ina completely that hasgone cinema original 1Italian different for films who alsophotographed Di Palma, Carlo cinematographer Italian describe the real , dead? Ettore Pietro comedy you Roberto Luchino Germi, Rossellini, Visconti, Antonioni, Michelangelo directors andscriptwriters, make it.It'sthat in Youcanstill died Monicelli: for films aswell aseleven and Bernardo Allen, Scola Bertolucci, Woody of at the on Rome 2004, see a lot of 9, them and look around of the seventy-nine. July age today, reality mirroring Fall2004 40 CINEASTE,

This content downloaded from 181.118.153.57 on Tue, 22 Apr 2014 21:46:42 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions