The Commandant
1963 · Italy · 101 min
- Director
- Paolo Heusch
- Screenplay
- Rodolfo Sonego
- Producer
- Luciano Ercoli
- Music
- Piero Umiliani
- Cinematography
- Alvaro Mancori
Cast
What it is about
General Antonio Cavalli, a veteran of the First and Second World Wars who spent years commanding Italian Army troops, is sent into retirement. Used to being in charge of everything, he struggles with quiet family life and decides to take an office job. Soon two crooks exploit his military reputation and draw him into fraudulent real estate schemes, putting both his good name and his freedom at risk.
How it was made
The Commandant was directed by Paolo Heusch from a screenplay by Rodolfo Sonego. Totò leads the cast, alongside Andreina Pagnani, Franco Fabrizi and Britt Ekland. Luciano Ercoli produced, with music by Piero Umiliani and cinematography by Alvaro Mancori. The film mixes comedy with an underlying drama, built around the contrast between the protagonist's military discipline and the disorder of his home and working life.
Reception and legacy
This 1963 Italian comedy-drama pairs humour with a critical look at a soldier who cannot let go of command. The available sources say little about its critical or commercial reception, so its place in Italian film history is best understood mainly through Totò's work in the later stage of his career.
Stills
More films by Paolo Heusch
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Violent LifeOriginal Cinematopedia text based on Wikipedia (en) and Wikidata.