Don Camillo - The Feisty and Funny Catholic Priest played by the beloved French actor and
comedian Fernandel or Fernand Joseph Désiré Contandin, 1903-1971.
"Don Camillo" was the first film in the decades long Don Camillo film series and the film was
super hit all over the world and made veteran actor Fernandel a huge star.
I'm such an old geezer that i remember Swedish TV showing his films when i was a child.

The film, released here in a rare Italian double DVD with english subtitles added to the main
feature film (but not to the documentares), really feels like looking at something from another
century, something ancient. A pretty serious drama-comedy about the politics, the antagonism
between reactionaries and revolutionaries, between black and red, between fascists and the
communists in small northern Italian town. A story of long since forgotten politics.
Today there are no revolutionairies or even socialists anymore in Europe, there are only
neo-liberals, war hawks, imperialism and corporate fascism.

The Story:

In a small post WW2 town or village in northern Italy, between the Poriver and the Appenines
mountains, the narration tells us there are strong opiniated townspeople regarding politics
and else. It's Summer 1946 and the Communist party has just won the election of being the new
town council where Peppone (Gino Cervi) will be the new Mayor. Something that annoys the
Priest Don Camillo (Fernandel) and he speaks to Jesus on the cross to get advice and Jesus
answers him and gives the choleric priest sound advice to stop him from doing drastic things
and to stop his shenanigans.

Since a long time back Peppone and Don Camillo are arch enemies. A conservative, burlesque
and quirky priest vs. a communist. But as Don Camillo may be choleric he really has a heart of
gold and actually he and Peppone really are "friends". Don Camillo is strong as an Ox and he
likes to take part in agood brawl.
The narrator voice commentates the happenings in the small town and there's also a side
story about a feud between two families with a romance, Romeo and Julia style, between two
youngsters.

This (today forgotten) Classic is presented in 4:3 original ratio in black & white and with Italian
original audio and with English subtitles. The Film has been restaurated. Region 2 DVD.
The subject of antagonism between conservatives and communists feels almost esoteric today

Extras:

Disc 1 - Presentazione di Maurizio Porro, Documentary with english subtitles about the
restoration of film (7 minutes)
Disc 2 - Una Storia Italiana Giovannino Guareschi - Liuomo della Bassa Documentario
(56 minutes in italian with no english subtitles, 2001)