Few films from the 1960s that have been absent on home video for this long arrive looking like they were shot yesterday.
Antonio Pietrangeli’s structuring logic proceeds from a philosophical, rather than character-based, foundation, causing a chill to pervade the entire film.
Criterion’s 4K Blu-ray offers a beautiful transfer of Ettore Scola’s long unavailable gem.
The film is a searing sociological X-ray that lays bare the true cost of Italy’s early-’60s economic miracle.
Dino Risi’s well-cast leads can’t quite sell his heavy-handed irony as truths about masculine character.
Worth a look for Simone Signoret’s smile and Raro Video’s immaculate restoration, but the film itself is pretty inessential.
The film’s biggest asset is its unusual stable of auteurs.