The “joke in four acts” thought up by Cesare Zavattini to expose Italian moralism and produced by Carlo Ponti, who wanted to bring together stars and money-maker directors, was presented at Cannes 1962 without this episode which would have made it too long. It was also this shortened version that was released outside Italy. To tell the story of Renzo and Luciana, the betrothed of Italy during the economic boom, inspired by Italo Calvino’s short story and The Crowd by King Vidor, Monicelli chose two unknown actors. With a chaotic and overcrowded Milan as a backdrop, Renzo and Luciana are forced to marry in secret due to an aberrant contractual obligation of the company they work for, which prohibits young employees from marrying and having children. The absurd obstacle course of the two newlyweds around family, work and society is Monicelli’s ironic and surreal way of expressing social criticism. In a twisted happy ending, Renzo and Luciana have their family, but he works at night and she works during the day.

Alice Autelitano