''Bianco, rosso e Verdone'' is a 1981

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

film directed and starred by

Carlo Verdone Carlo Gregorio Verdone (born 17 November 1950) is an Italian actor, screenwriter and film director. Best known for his comedic roles in Italian classics which he also wrote and directed such as ''Fun Is Beautiful'' and ''Bianco, rosso e Verdone ...

, playing three characters. It was produced by

Sergio Leone Sergio Leone ( ; ; 3 January 1929 – 30 April 1989) was an Italian filmmaker, credited as the pioneer of the spaghetti Western genre. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema. Leone's film-making style ...

, soundtrack composed by

Ennio Morricone Ennio Morricone ( , ; 10 November 19286 July 2020) was an Italian composer, Orchestration, orchestrator, conductor, trumpeter, and pianist who wrote music in a wide range of styles. With more than 400 film score, scores for cinema and televisi ...

and guest starred by

Mario Brega Mario Brega (25 March 1923 – 23 July 1994) was an Italian character actor. His heavy build meant that he regularly portrayed a thug in his films, particularly earlier in his career in westerns. Later in his career, however, he featured in n ...

, all formerly scored in the ''

Dollars trilogy The ''Dollars Trilogy'' (), also known as the ''Man with No Name Trilogy'' (), is an Italian film series consisting of three spaghetti western films directed by Sergio Leone. The films are titled '' A Fistful of Dollars'' (1964), '' For a Few ...

'' and ''

Spaghetti Western The spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's filmmaking style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...

'' movies in the 1960s.

Cast

as Furio, Mimmo and Pasquale Amitrano * Irina Sanpiter (dubbed by Solvejg D'Assunta) as Magda, Furio's wife *

Elena Fabrizi Elena "Lella" Fabrizi (; born Elena Fabbrizi; 17 June 1915 – 9 August 1993), popularly known as Sora Lella ( Romanesco for "Mrs. Lella"), was an Italian stage, television and film actress, and a television personality. She was both a Silver Rib ...

as Mimmo's grandmother *

Milena Vukotic Milena Vukotic (, ; born 23 April 1935) is an Italian actress of film, stage and television and former ballerina. Biography Vukotic was born in Rome, to a Montenegrin comedy playwright father and an Italian pianist/composer mother. As a ch ...

as a call-girl *

as "The Prince" truck driver *

Angelo Infanti Angelo Infanti (; 16 February 1939 – 12 October 2010) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in more than 90 films between 1961 and 2010. He was born on 16 February 1939 in Zagarolo, Italy. He died on 12 October 2010 in Tivoli, Italy due ...

as Raul the seducer *

Andrea Aureli Andrea Aureli (5 March 1923 – 5 November 2007) was an Italian actor. Life and career Born in Terni, Aureli graduated from the Liceo classico in his hometown, then he enrolled the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome, graduating i ...

as Mimmo's Uncle * Elisabeth Wiener as Pasquale's German wife * Anna Alessandra Ariorio * Vittorio Zarfati as the motel doorkeeper * Giovanni Brusadori * Guido Monti * Giuseppe Pezzulli

Plot

It’s election day in early 1980s Italy. Three men set off to cast their votes in their respective hometowns. Furio, a pedantic and overly talkative clerk living in

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

, travels with his family to

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

. Similarly, the simple-minded Mimmo is en route to his polling station with his diabetic grandmother, who depends on his care during the journey. Meanwhile, Pasquale, an Italian immigrant in Germany, nearly mute and married to a stern, Valkyrie-like German woman, sets off alone in his Alfasud for

Matera Matera (, ; Neapolitan language, Materano: ) is a city and the capital of the Province of Matera in the regions of Italy, region of Basilicata, in Southern Italy. With a history of continuous occupation dating back to the Palaeolithic (10th mi ...

in southern Italy. Their journeys become a chaotic series of misadventures on the Italian motorways. Furio’s wife, Magda, is driven to the brink of a nervous breakdown by her husband’s obsessive perfectionism, which turns their every move into an over-planned ordeal. Mimmo, meanwhile, is continuously ridiculed and manipulated by his cunning grandmother. Pasquale, blissfully unaware of the dangers around him, is repeatedly targeted by thieves at every stop along the way. The three groups briefly intersect at a

motel A motel, also known as a motor hotel, motor inn or motor lodge, is a hotel designed for motorists, usually having each room entered directly from the Parking lot, parking area for motor vehicles rather than through a central Lobby (room), lo ...

where Magda, Mimmo, and their families spend the night. Furio, however, is absent, having ended up in the hospital after a car crash. At the motel, Magda finds herself courted by Raul, a dashing man who has been following her since the start of their journey. Mimmo, in his naivety, is drawn to a call-girl working at the motel. Misunderstanding her profession, he mistakes her pubic hair for “fur underwear” and fails to grasp her intentions entirely. Meanwhile, Pasquale’s car is stripped bare by thieves, leaving him without seats, a windshield, or wheel rims. Yet, undeterred, he soldiers on toward his destination. Eventually, the three men reach their polling stations. Magda seizes the opportunity to escape with Raul while Furio is distracted, busy voting. Mimmo’s grandmother, determined to cast her vote for the Italian Communist Party, tragically dies in the voting booth. Her death prompts a heated debate among the poll workers about the validity of her vote, while Mimmo sobs over her passing. As for Pasquale, his patience finally snaps after enduring relentless misfortunes since returning to his homeland. Breaking his silence, he delivers an impassioned, unintelligible rant recounting his trials, condemning the pointlessness of his vote, and railing against the state of the country. His tirade concludes with a clear, cutting message: he tells the election officials—and symbolically, all of Italy—to "screw themselves." With that, he bids farewell and heads back to Germany.

Comment

Verdone’s second film follows the success of ''

Fun Is Beautiful ''Un sacco bello'', internationally released as ''Fun Is Beautiful'', is a 1980 Italian comedy film. The film, produced by Sergio Leone, marked the directorial debut of Carlo Verdone, as well his debut as main actor and as screenwriter. For this ...

'' (''Un sacco bello''), employing a similar formula where he serves as both director and multi-role actor. Set against the backdrop of election day, the film satirizes the struggles and miseries of Italian society, particularly highlighting the hardships faced by emigrants. Producer

initially feared that the character of Furio might be too unlikable for audiences. Ultimately, Leone came to agree with Verdone’s creative choices. The character of Furio—obsessive, pedantic, and neurotic—recurs frequently in Verdone’s work, as he has admitted it was inspired by one of his own relatives. Russian actress Irina Sanpiter was cast for the role of Magda due to her striking blue eyes and angelic, pale appearance. Meanwhile, Pasquale represents a dated stereotype of the helpless Italian emigrant. His character is emphasized through his disheveled, old-fashioned clothing, his car adorned with garish decorations, and his penchant for listening to Italian music from the 1950s.

Notes

External links

* {{Carlo Verdone 1980s Italian-language films Commedia all'italiana 1981 films 1981 comedy films Films directed by Carlo Verdone Films scored by Ennio Morricone Films produced by Sergio Leone 1980s Italian films Italian-language comedy films