The Easy Life
Encyclopedia
The Easy Life is a 1962 Italian
cult movie directed by Dino Risi. It is considered Risi's masterpiece and one of the most famous examples of Commedia all'italiana
film genre.
for a trivial favor: a phone call.
The young man tells Bruno to come up and make the call himself; after he fails to contact his friends (he's a full hour late for the meeting they had) Bruno insists to repay Roberto's courtesy by offering him a drink. Being tired of studying for the day the young man accepts.
Thus begins a cruise along the Via Aurelia
(the Roman road which also gives the name to Bruno's car) where Roberto is unwilling or unable to part from his casual acquaintance despite having nothing in common with him. Bruno is loud, direct, a bit coarse and a braggart to boot but also charming and likable, Roberto, being his complete opposite, feels drawn to his impulsive and devil-may-care attitude.
In two days of high and lows across the coasts of Lazio and Tuscany
the two men manage to learn something from each other (Roberto discovers his childhood hasn't been as golden as he always maintained, and finds out about Bruno's failed marriage and young daughter realizing he's not half as carefree as he pretends).
Their friendship and male bonding is cut short when, urged by Roberto, Bruno attempts a risky maneuver resulting in an accident. The younger man falls with the car along a rocky cliff, leaving a bloodied and shocked Bruno on the curve's edge, realizing that in the time they spent together he had not even asked him his surname.
, Quando, Quando, Quando
performed by Emilio Pericoli
, "Guarda come dondolo" and "Pinne Fucili ed Occhiali" by Edoardo Vianello and "Vecchio frac" by Domenico Modugno
.
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...
cult movie directed by Dino Risi. It is considered Risi's masterpiece and one of the most famous examples of Commedia all'italiana
Commedia all'italiana
Commedia all'italiana or Italian-style comedy is an Italian film genre. It is widely considered to have started with Mario Monicelli's I soliti ignoti in 1958 and derives its name from the title of Pietro Germi's Divorzio all'italiana .-Stars:Vittorio Gassman, Ugo...
film genre.
Plot
In a hazy, dreamy, sun-baked Rome in an August afternoon the timid, precise law student Roberto (Trintignant) is asked by a 40-ish man named Bruno (Gassman) passing under his window at the wheel of a convertible Lancia AureliaLancia Aurelia
The Lancia Aurelia is a car that was produced by the Italian manufacturer Lancia. Designed by Vittorio Jano, the Aurelia was launched in 1950 and production lasted until the summer of 1958....
for a trivial favor: a phone call.
The young man tells Bruno to come up and make the call himself; after he fails to contact his friends (he's a full hour late for the meeting they had) Bruno insists to repay Roberto's courtesy by offering him a drink. Being tired of studying for the day the young man accepts.
Thus begins a cruise along the Via Aurelia
Via Aurelia
The Via Aurelia was a Roman road in Italy constructed around the year 241 BC. The project was undertaken by C. Aurelius Cotta, who at that time was censor...
(the Roman road which also gives the name to Bruno's car) where Roberto is unwilling or unable to part from his casual acquaintance despite having nothing in common with him. Bruno is loud, direct, a bit coarse and a braggart to boot but also charming and likable, Roberto, being his complete opposite, feels drawn to his impulsive and devil-may-care attitude.
In two days of high and lows across the coasts of Lazio and Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
the two men manage to learn something from each other (Roberto discovers his childhood hasn't been as golden as he always maintained, and finds out about Bruno's failed marriage and young daughter realizing he's not half as carefree as he pretends).
Their friendship and male bonding is cut short when, urged by Roberto, Bruno attempts a risky maneuver resulting in an accident. The younger man falls with the car along a rocky cliff, leaving a bloodied and shocked Bruno on the curve's edge, realizing that in the time they spent together he had not even asked him his surname.
Reception
The movie is considered one of the best Commedie all'Italiana ever and a poignant portrait of Italy in the early 60s when the "economic miracle" (dubbed the "boom" -with the actual English word- by the local media) was starting to transform the country from a traditionally family-centered society into an individualistic, consumeristic and shallower one.Soundtrack
The soundtrack include Italian 1960s hits such as "Saint Tropez Twist" by Peppino di CapriPeppino di Capri
Peppino di Capri is an Italian popular music singer, songwriter and pianist. His international hits are: "St...
, Quando, Quando, Quando
Quando, Quando, Quando
"Quando, Quando, Quando" is an Italian pop song from 1962, in the bossa nova style, with music written by Tony Renis and lyrics by Alberto Testa....
performed by Emilio Pericoli
Emilio Pericoli
Emilio Pericoli is an Italian singer. He was born in Cesenatico, Romagna.Pericoli's success was closely tied to the Sanremo Festival. He recorded a cover version of the song, "Al di là", by festival winner Betty Curtis. The song was an international success, hitting the charts in the U.S. and #30...
, "Guarda come dondolo" and "Pinne Fucili ed Occhiali" by Edoardo Vianello and "Vecchio frac" by Domenico Modugno
Domenico Modugno
Domenico Modugno was an Italian singer, songwriter, actor, and later in life, a member of the Italian Parliament. He is known for his 1958 international hit song "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu "...
.
Awards
- Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists Nastro d'ArgentoNastro d'ArgentoThe Nastro d'Argento is a movie award assigned each year, since 1946, for cinematic performances and production by Sindacato Nazionale dei Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani, the association of Italian film critics...
- Winner: Best Actor (Migliore Attore Protagonista)- Vittorio GassmanVittorio GassmanVittorio Gassman Knight Grand Cross OMRI , popularly known as Il Mattatore, was an Italian theatre and film actor and director...
- Winner: Best Actor (Migliore Attore Protagonista)- Vittorio Gassman
- Mar de Plata Film Festival
- Winner: Best Director- Dino Risi