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)