This is a great film. It's a black comedy with an amazing ending. Nino Manfredi is a tremendous actor with excellent comedic skills. One of my favorite Italian actors. However, I don't see this movie the same way as the other reviewers. Others see it as a commentary on capitol punishment, but I believe it to be more a discussion of weakness.
The main character is pushed from situation into situation that brings him always closer to becoming an executioner. He could have avoided this at any stage by being strong and standing up for himself. His original plan was to go to Germany, but his plans were derailed beginning with his first weakness when he was pushed to return the executioner's bag. Then he was pushed again and again further and further. If at any point he had taken a stand, he could have avoided his final unpleasantness, but he never held strong at any point in the movie.
He was never against capitol punishment at any point in the film. He just never had the strength to be the one to do it himself. He was fine taking advantage of the benefits of being an executioner. He was just fine with his father-in-law performing executions, and his father-in-law was just fine performing them. The father-in-law even spoke about the respect he and those he executed had for each other.
There are no arguments made in the movie regarding whether the reasons for capitol punishment are valid, only regarding the distastefulness of the main character having to perform it himself.
This is still a well done movie and I recommend it.
The main character is pushed from situation into situation that brings him always closer to becoming an executioner. He could have avoided this at any stage by being strong and standing up for himself. His original plan was to go to Germany, but his plans were derailed beginning with his first weakness when he was pushed to return the executioner's bag. Then he was pushed again and again further and further. If at any point he had taken a stand, he could have avoided his final unpleasantness, but he never held strong at any point in the movie.
He was never against capitol punishment at any point in the film. He just never had the strength to be the one to do it himself. He was fine taking advantage of the benefits of being an executioner. He was just fine with his father-in-law performing executions, and his father-in-law was just fine performing them. The father-in-law even spoke about the respect he and those he executed had for each other.
There are no arguments made in the movie regarding whether the reasons for capitol punishment are valid, only regarding the distastefulness of the main character having to perform it himself.
This is still a well done movie and I recommend it.