In terms of plot
and characters, Il Sorpasso was among
the first to establish the traditional road film narrative, blending comedy and
tragedy in a brilliant social commentary by way of escapist entertainment. Many
similar films have followed; utilizing the elements that Italian filmmaker Dino
Risi first made work so brilliantly in 1962. You can see the odd couple
character humor in recent road trip comedies such as Due Date or The Heat, and
the tragic ending seemed to immediately have an impact on American cinema with
Dennis Hopper’s Easy Rider (1969), so
why is it that Il Sorpasso is not more widely known and appreciated? Better
late than never, Il Sorpasso has been added to the prestigious Criterion
Collection with this dual format Blu-ray/DVD release, complete with new special
features that include praise-filled introduction from filmmaker Alexander
Payne, who followed in Risi’s tradition with last year’s Academy
Award-nominated road comedy, Nebraska
Il Sorpasso was
not the first road film, from Italy Italy
The film is limited
on plot, as many road films tend to be, and it is the characters which make of
break the narrative. Risi’s education in Psychiatry combined with the witty
dialogue by writing team Ettore Scola and Ruggero Maccari helped to bring out
career-making performances from leads Vittorio Gassman and Jean-Louis
Trintignant as an unlikely pair of traveling companions on a busy Italian
holiday. Trintignant plays the protagonist whose thoughts we are occasionally
privy to via voiceover, Roberto Mariani, straight-laced student intent to spend
the holiday studying until he is interrupted by Bruno Cortona (Gassman).
Bruno is a boorish opposite to
Roberto’s respectful personality, living his life to the fullest with no regard
for responsible or decent behavior. He flirts with every woman he encounters,
drinks and smokes as regularly as he breathes and drives recklessly along the
seaside roads. Despite his better judgment, Roberto is wooed over by the
inexplicable charm of Bruno’s confident behavior, and a chance encounter turns
into an unexpected friendship.
Though there are many elements of Il Sorpasso which are distinctly
Italian, including the title’s meaning to overpass someone in a car, it is the
universal flaws in these two characters that make this a film that crosses
national lines. They are two extremes, but neither is as simple as they seem,
which is what makes the film so engaging. Although Bruno appears self-serving
and narcissistic, he occasionally has an endearing quality that makes him more
of an enigma than a caricature. Similarly, Roberto’s meek personality appears a
flaw that the audience will enjoy seeing shirked at the encouragement of Bruno,
but the shocking ending leaves more to be examined than one might expect from
the lighthearted journey leading up to the finale.
The 3-disc dual format release
includes a Blu-ray and two DVDs, one with the film with the other containing a
plethora of new features. The film itself is presented with a new 2K digital
restoration and uncompressed monaural soundtrack. Along with the introduction
by Payne, the special features include new interviews with screenwriter Scola
and film scholar Rémi Fournier Lanzoni, as well as a 2004 interview with Risi
conducted by critic Jean A. Gili and an introduction by Trintignant from a 1983
television broadcast of the film. Also included is the 2006 documentary on
Risi, A Beautiful Vacation, along
with excerpts from several other documentaries about casting and locations from
the film. All content is available on both formats, and the package also comes
with a booklet insert featuring essays by critics Phillip Lopate and Antonio
Monda, as well as excerpts from Risi’s writing with introduction by film
historian Valerio Caprara.
Entertainment Value:
8.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 9/10
Historical
Significance: 8/10
Special Features: 9.5/10
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