#707: RISI, Dino: Il Sorpasso (1962)

RISI, Dino (Italy)
Il Sorpasso [1962]
Spine #707
Blu-ray


The ultimate Italian road comedy, Il sorpasso stars the unlikely pair of Vittorio Gassman and Jean-Louis Trintignant as, respectively, a waggish, freewheeling bachelor and the straitlaced law student he takes on a madcap trip from Rome to Tuscany. An unpredictable journey that careens from slapstick to tragedy, this film, directed by Dino Risi, is a wildly entertaining commentary on the pleasures and consequences of the good life. A holy grail of commedia all'italiana, Il sorpasso is so fresh and exciting that one can easily see why it has long been adored in Italy.

105 minutes
Black & White
Monaural
in Italian
1:85:1 aspect ratio
Criterion Release 2014
Director/Writers


Dialogue by Ettore Scola and Ruggero Maccari.
Story and screenplay by Dino Risi, Scola, and Maccari.
Risi was 46 when he directed Il Sorpasso.

The Film

Film Rating (0-60):

60

The Extras

The Booklet

Forty page booklet featuring essays by critics Phillip Lopate and Antonio Monda, as well as excerpts from Risi’s writings, with an introduction by film historian and critic Valerio Caprara.

Commentary

None.

Introduction 1

By filmmaker Alexander Payne.

Interviews

With screenwriter Scola and film scholar Rémi Fourier Lanzoni.

Interview

From 2004 with director Risi, conducted by film critic Jean A. Gili.

Introduction 2

By actor Jean-Louis Trintignant from a 1983 television broadcast of the film.

A Beautiful Vacation

A 2006 documentary on Risi featuring interviews with the director and his collaborators and friends.

Excerpts 1

From a 2012 documentary that returns to Castigioncello, the location for the film’s beach scenes.

Excerpts 2

From Speaking with Gassman, a 2005 documentary on the relationship between actor Gassman and Risi, directed by Risi’s son Marco.

Trailer

Extras Rating (0-40):

39

60 + 39 =

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Complete Criterion Collection By Spine #

#331: OZU, Yasujiro: Late Spring (1949)

#304: ROEG, Nicolas: The Man Who Fell To Earth (1976)