Bingo Bongo
Encyclopedia
Bingo Bongo is a well known 1982
Italian
family comedy film
directed by Pasquale Festa Campanile
and starring Adriano Celentano
as an Italian Tarzan
character escaping across Milan
and speaking with all animal's races. The film also created an Italian neologism indicating wild animal-like language
or behaviour.
). He was thrown out by parachute at the last instant and subsequently adopted by chimpanzees.
Years later, as a grown man with animalistic behaviour (and still wearing his old pacifier
and parachute harness), Bingo Bongo is captured by an expedition, brought to an anthropology
institution in Milan
for study, and shut in a cage
. Bingo Bongo proves not only to be extremely strong and highly intelligent and perceptive (with some uncomfortable results for the researchers), he also develops a crush on Laura, one of the researchers, and bonds with her pet chimpanzee Renato. Laura, on the other hand, tries her best to integrate Bingo Bongo into human society.
Finally, Bingo Bongo runs away and eventually hides at Laura's place, who continues her efforts. At first she makes only slow progress, but a surprise result is achieved when one evening the institute's director drops by: Bingo Bongo not only convincingly manages to pass himself off as a human (complete with fully developed articulation of the human language), he also throws the director off track by introducing himself as Laura's lover.
Because Laura continues to rebuff his romantic advances, however, Bingo decides to return to Africa, with Renato in company, but his efforts are all foiled. In time, it is revealed that the animals all around the world see him as their ambassador to humanity who will vouch for a more humane treatment of the animals, thanks to his ability to speak the animal - and now also the human - tongues. He returns to the institute, where he delivers his message in a colloquium
which Laura also attends. There she confesses (in ape language) that she does love him after all.
The film ends with Bingo Bongo taking up his work as animal ambassador - most notably by calming down King Kong
, who later attends his wedding.
Italian films of 1982
A list of films produced in Italy in 1982 :-External links:* at the Internet Movie Database...
Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
family comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed by Pasquale Festa Campanile
Pasquale Festa Campanile
Pasquale Festa Campanile was an Italian screenwriter, film director and novellist. He was born at Melfi and died in Rome.- Director :* Un tentativo sentimentale * La nonna Sabella...
and starring Adriano Celentano
Adriano Celentano
Adriano Celentano is an Italian singer, songwriter, comedian, actor, film director and TV host.-Biography:Celentano was born in Milan at 14 Via Gluck, about which he later wrote the famous song "Il ragazzo della via Gluck"...
as an Italian Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
character escaping across Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
and speaking with all animal's races. The film also created an Italian neologism indicating wild animal-like language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
or behaviour.
Plot
The film opens with the story about how Bingo Bongo was stranded in the African jungle as a baby when his plane crashed (in a manner remniscient and in parody of TarzanTarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
). He was thrown out by parachute at the last instant and subsequently adopted by chimpanzees.
Years later, as a grown man with animalistic behaviour (and still wearing his old pacifier
Pacifier
A pacifier is a rubber, plastic, or silicone nipple given to an infant or other young child to suck upon. In its standard appearance it has a teat, mouth shield, and handle...
and parachute harness), Bingo Bongo is captured by an expedition, brought to an anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
institution in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
for study, and shut in a cage
Cage (enclosure)
A cage is an enclosure made of mesh, bars or wires, used to confine, contain or protect something or someone. A cage can serve many purposes, including keeping an animal in captivity, capturing, and being used for display of an animal at a zoo.-History:...
. Bingo Bongo proves not only to be extremely strong and highly intelligent and perceptive (with some uncomfortable results for the researchers), he also develops a crush on Laura, one of the researchers, and bonds with her pet chimpanzee Renato. Laura, on the other hand, tries her best to integrate Bingo Bongo into human society.
Finally, Bingo Bongo runs away and eventually hides at Laura's place, who continues her efforts. At first she makes only slow progress, but a surprise result is achieved when one evening the institute's director drops by: Bingo Bongo not only convincingly manages to pass himself off as a human (complete with fully developed articulation of the human language), he also throws the director off track by introducing himself as Laura's lover.
Because Laura continues to rebuff his romantic advances, however, Bingo decides to return to Africa, with Renato in company, but his efforts are all foiled. In time, it is revealed that the animals all around the world see him as their ambassador to humanity who will vouch for a more humane treatment of the animals, thanks to his ability to speak the animal - and now also the human - tongues. He returns to the institute, where he delivers his message in a colloquium
Colloquium
Colloquium can refer to:* the Parliament of Scotland, called a "colloquium" in Latin records.* any musical piece celebrating birth or distribution of good news, a hymn...
which Laura also attends. There she confesses (in ape language) that she does love him after all.
The film ends with Bingo Bongo taking up his work as animal ambassador - most notably by calming down King Kong
King Kong
King Kong is a fictional character, a giant movie monster resembling a gorilla, that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films...
, who later attends his wedding.