''Berlinguer ti voglio bene'' (internationally released as ''Berlinguer, I Love You'') is a 1977

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 film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

written and directed by

Giuseppe Bertolucci Giuseppe Bertolucci (27 February 1947 – 16 June 2012) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed 26 films between 1972 and 2012. He was the younger brother of Bernardo Bertolucci. Selected filmography * ''Berlinguer, I Lov ...

. It is the debut film for both Bertolucci and

Roberto Benigni Roberto Remigio Benigni ( , ; born 27 October 1952) is an Italian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film director. He gained international recognition for writing, directing, and starring in the Holocaust comedy drama film ''Life Is Beautifu ...

. It is based on the stage play ''Cioni Mario di Gaspare fu Giulia'', which Bertolucci wrote and directed in 1975 and in which Benigni played the character of Mario Cioni, a character he later resumed in the television mini-series ''Onda libera''. The title quotes Cioni's declaration of love for

Enrico Berlinguer Enrico Berlinguer (; 25 May 1922 – 11 June 1984) was an Italian politician and statesman. Considered the most popular leader of the Italian Communist Party (PCI), he led the PCI as the national secretary from 1972 until his death during a te ...

, then leader of the

Italian Communist Party The Italian Communist Party (, PCI) was a communist and democratic socialist political party in Italy. It was established in Livorno as the Communist Party of Italy (, PCd'I) on 21 January 1921, when it seceded from the Italian Socialist Part ...

Plot

Mario is a man of the underclass of

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...

, who works as a construction worker and lives in the myth of

. Mario has an

Oedipus complex In classical psychoanalytic theory, the Oedipus complex is a son's sexual attitude towards his mother and concomitant hostility toward his father, first formed during the phallic stage of psychosexual development. A daughter's attitude of desire ...

, being very attached to his mother, and his friends make jokes of him. When he loses a game of cards with Bozzone, one of his friend, he doesn't know how to deal with his gambling debt and the friend asks him for payment to have sex with his mother. Mario's mother and Bozzone, after the first experience, will begin to like each other and live like a real family, upsetting Mario's life further.

Cast

: Mario Cioni *

Alida Valli Baroness Alida Maria Laura Altenburger von Marckenstein-Frauenberg (31 May 1921 – 22 April 2006), better known by her stage name Alida Valli, or simply Valli, was an Italian actress who appeared in more than 100 films in a 70-year career, span ...

: Mario's mother *

Carlo Monni Carlo Monni (23 October 1943 – 19 May 2013) was an Italian film, television and stage actor. Born in Campi Bisenzio, Florence, Monni started his artistic activity in early seventies, as an actor in the Tuscan vernacular comic theater. After hav ...

: Bozzone * Mario Pachi: Gnorante

References

External links

* *
Modernity degraded of the peripheries: an analysis of «Berlinguer, ti voglio bene»
Linda Brodo, Stefano Brugnolo, in "Intersezioni" 3/2014, pp. 473–498, Il Mulino. 1977 films 1977 comedy films Films directed by Giuseppe Bertolucci Italian comedy films {{1970s-Italy-comedy-film-stub