Il Sorpasso (1962)

 Dino Risi's "Il Sorpasso"


By 1962, the Italian-style comedies had become the mainstream in Italy. Films like 1958's "Big Deal on Madonna Street" and 1961's "Divorce Italian Style" had swept the public into a new era of Italian cinema. Although they are an evolution of the neo-realist style, Italian-style comedies depart from neo-realism's strict adherence to reality. With the economic rise the country was going through at the time, the stark and unflinching observations of economic destitution that neo-realism typically thrives on had to make way for much farcical and satirical styles (hence the Italian-style comedy). 

One of the most famous and commercially successful Italian-style comedies is Dino Risi's 1962 film "Il Sorpasso." The film stars Jean-Louis Trintignant as a timid college student, Roberto, who gets swept away by a charismatic and impulsive Bruno. The two spend the entire day together and Roberto begins easing out of his shy ways and begins to embrace more confidence and impulsivity in life. However, like all things, there must be a balance.

"Il Sorpasso" grabbed my attention from the very beginning. I felt a kinship with the Roberto character, feeling a connection with his timidness. The exuberant friendship that blossoms between these two strangers feels almost romantic in a way. At its heart, its a love story of two disparate personality finding balance between one another.  

The film also illustrates the growing economic boom of Italy at the time. The country was slowly starting to transform away from traditional, agricultural, and family-centric values into more consumerist, individualistic values. Bruno's loudmouth ways and his excessive speeding and passing cars on the highway illustrates the new, speedy world of modern Italy.

Overall, I adored "Il Sorpasso" and see it as one of the best examples of the Italian-style comedy. It's a road trip movie mixed with a buddy comedy with a hint of romance (despite being no actual romance). It's a film that just feels so alive, particularly because of the exuberance of Bruno and the temporary blossoming of Roberto. 



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