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1950s – 1970s

Commedia all'Italiana

Satirical Italian comedies that mix laughter with bitter social criticism of marriage, morals and politics.

At the height of Italy's postwar boom, a group of directors used comedy to look at the country's vanity, hypocrisy and greed. Mario Monicelli's The Big Deal on Madonna Street, Dino Risi's Il sorpasso and Pietro Germi's Divorce Italian Style were funny, but the laughter stung: the heroes are cowards, cheats and failures, and the endings are often bitter. The films relied on great comic actors such as Alberto Sordi, Vittorio Gassman and Marcello Mastroianni and on sharp writing, and they gave Italians a mirror of the national character in a time of rapid change.

Where
Italy
When
1950s to the 1970s
Key figures
Mario Monicelli, Dino Risi, Pietro Germi, Luigi Comencini, Ettore Scola, Alberto Sordi, Vittorio Gassman
Landmark films
Big Deal on Madonna Street (1958), Divorce Italian Style (1961), Il sorpasso (1962), We All Loved Each Other So Much (1974)
Legacy
Proved that comedy could carry bitter social criticism, and shaped Italian popular cinema for decades

What to look for

  • Satire of the national character, with flawed, selfish heroes
  • Comedy mixed with a sad or bitter ending
  • Brilliant ensemble acting and sharp scripts

Famous Directors

Pietro GermiItalyAlberto LattuadaItalyEttore ScolaItalyMario MonicelliItalyDino RisiItalyLina WertmüllerItalyLuigi ComenciniItalyGian Luigi PolidoroItaly

Top films · 57 films

  1. Il Sorpasso 1962 · Dino Risi · IMDb 8.2
  2. A Special Day 1977 · Ettore Scola · IMDb 8.1
  3. The Great War 1959 · Mario Monicelli · IMDb 8.1
  4. We All Loved Each Other So Much 1974 · Ettore Scola · IMDb 8.0
  5. The Organizer 1963 · Mario Monicelli · IMDb 8.0
  6. A Difficult Life 1961 · Dino Risi · IMDb 8.0
  7. Divorce Italian Style 1961 · Pietro Germi · IMDb 7.9
  8. Seduced and Abandoned 1964 · Pietro Germi · IMDb 7.9
  9. Big Deal on Madonna Street 1958 · Mario Monicelli · IMDb 7.9
  10. My Friends 1975 · Mario Monicelli · IMDb 7.9
  11. Un borghese piccolo piccolo 1977 · Mario Monicelli · IMDb 7.8
  12. The Railroad Man 1956 · Pietro Germi · IMDb 7.7
  13. Ugly, Dirty and Bad 1976 · Ettore Scola · IMDb 7.7
  14. L'armata Brancaleone 1966 · Mario Monicelli · IMDb 7.7
  15. Il marchese del Grillo 1981 · Mario Monicelli · IMDb 7.7
  16. Seven Beauties 1975 · Lina Wertmüller · IMDb 7.7
  17. Love and Anarchy 1973 · Lina Wertmüller · IMDb 7.7
  18. Everybody Go Home 1960 · Luigi Comencini · IMDb 7.7
  19. Mafioso 1962 · Alberto Lattuada · IMDb 7.6
  20. In the Name of the Law 1949 · Pietro Germi · IMDb 7.6
  21. Le Bal 1983 · Ettore Scola · IMDb 7.6
  22. Misunderstood 1966 · Luigi Comencini · IMDb 7.6
  23. The Overcoat 1952 · Alberto Lattuada · IMDb 7.5
  24. The Path of Hope 1950 · Pietro Germi · IMDb 7.5
  25. The Birds, the Bees and the Italians 1966 · Pietro Germi · IMDb 7.5
  26. In the Name of the Italian People 1971 · Dino Risi · IMDb 7.5
  27. Scent of a Woman 1974 · Dino Risi · IMDb 7.5
  28. Swept Away 1974 · Lina Wertmüller · IMDb 7.5
  29. The Family 1987 · Ettore Scola · IMDb 7.4
  30. The Monsters 1963 · Dino Risi · IMDb 7.4
  31. The Seduction of Mimi 1972 · Lina Wertmüller · IMDb 7.3
  32. That Night in Varennes 1982 · Ettore Scola · IMDb 7.2
  33. Variety Lights 1950 · Alberto Lattuada · IMDb 7.1
  34. Il mulino del Po 1949 · Alberto Lattuada · IMDb 7.0
  35. La spiaggia 1954 · Alberto Lattuada · IMDb 6.9
  36. Treasure of San Gennaro 1966 · Dino Risi · IMDb 6.9
  37. Bread, Love and Dreams 1953 · Luigi Comencini · IMDb 6.9
  38. The Adventures of Pinocchio 1972 · Luigi Comencini · IMDb 6.9
  39. The Bandit 1946 · Alberto Lattuada · IMDb 6.8
  40. The Testimony 1946 · Pietro Germi · IMDb 6.8
  41. Fathers and Sons 1957 · Mario Monicelli · IMDb 6.8
  42. Without Pity 1948 · Alberto Lattuada · IMDb 6.6
  43. Let's Talk About Women 1964 · Ettore Scola · IMDb 6.6
  44. Alfredo, Alfredo 1972 · Pietro Germi · IMDb 6.5
  45. Blood Feud 1978 · Lina Wertmüller · IMDb 6.4
  46. Donatella 1956 · Mario Monicelli · IMDb 6.4
  47. Caro Michele 1976 · Mario Monicelli · IMDb 6.3
  48. To Bed or Not to Bed 1963 · Gian Luigi Polidoro · IMDb 6.2
  49. Dear Father 1979 · Dino Risi · IMDb 6.2
  50. Poor Millionaires 1959 · Dino Risi · IMDb 6.1
  51. The Steppe 1962 · Alberto Lattuada · IMDb 6.0
  52. Matchless 1967 · Alberto Lattuada · IMDb 5.2
  53. The Scientific Cardplayer 1972 · Luigi Comencini
  54. The Girl with the Pistol 1968 · Mario Monicelli
  55. A Drama of Jealousy 1970 · Ettore Scola
  56. Camorra 1985 · Lina Wertmüller
  57. The Girl of Bube 1963 · Luigi Comencini