By the lowest numbers of reviews L'armata de Brancaleone clearly still is unknown picture of the genius Mario Monicelli, oddly enough this flick was widely-known notably in high circles of movie buffs only, for instance I'd heard about it in a special weekly TV show hosted by the movie expert Jo Soares, just in DVD's advent I got a lousy DVD copy available at its time, now at last came out the ultimate restored DVD version, bright colors, great sound, a righteous opportunity to reassess what I'd missed in the first eyesight.
Assuredly mario Monicelli created a near masterpiece when introduces at medieval era a tale with a hard smell of farse black comedy through those weird characters that comprise the L'armata Brancaleone, led by the clumsy Brancaleone de Norcia (Vittorio Gassman) dully monitored by a bunch of losers, aside of the Jewish Abacuc (Carlo Pisacane) whereof portraits the real greedy jew's patten that manage the treasure of L'armata on the financial agreements, along the lenghty journey, including his obligatory Christian baptism at water upon its complaints over so outrageous deed.
Their overring goal is headed to Aurocastro fiefdom due them have a stolen papyrus that ensures the entitlement of such seashore feudatory as long as they defend it from the black ship from Africa by the muslin seasonal invaders, under this auspicious premise these self-called soldier wretchedly wearing rags start a journey toward Aurocastro, nonetheless during the quest they faces many weird happenings that somehow delayed or swerve it for a while, due some unexpected occurrences along the way as when they meeting a warrior Teofilatto dei Leonzi (Gian Maria Volonté) that claiming for a duel, funny in the struggle at wheat field it was so fierce that no one hits anyone, however slicing almost all crops around.
Unforgettable sequence when the mindless Pecoro (Folco Lucci) disappears dragged through stormy river, later he sudden appears living with a female bear at cave, he replays that such animal saves him and henceforth they live together as a couple including she feeding him with frogs and some vegetables, what an elusive sequence, another droll piece occurs when the troop needs a blacksmith aiming for to set free Brancaleone trapped inside the iron cage, freakishly they finding this man over a bridge about to commit a suicide with a heavy anvil in response a betrayal by his unfaithful wife, that hereinafter joined to the shabby army.
One the most sterling idea ever expose in a movie, all nonsense elements are here in vivid colors, also fully of double meaning expressions, openly against religions customs, Monicelli handles with fictional grassroots, targeting the black humor with rare dexterity, having the fabulous ancient Roman ruins as perfect backdrop enhancing the accuracy in this environment.
Thanks for reading.
Resume:
First watch: 2007 / Source: DVD / How many: 2 / Rating: 9.
Assuredly mario Monicelli created a near masterpiece when introduces at medieval era a tale with a hard smell of farse black comedy through those weird characters that comprise the L'armata Brancaleone, led by the clumsy Brancaleone de Norcia (Vittorio Gassman) dully monitored by a bunch of losers, aside of the Jewish Abacuc (Carlo Pisacane) whereof portraits the real greedy jew's patten that manage the treasure of L'armata on the financial agreements, along the lenghty journey, including his obligatory Christian baptism at water upon its complaints over so outrageous deed.
Their overring goal is headed to Aurocastro fiefdom due them have a stolen papyrus that ensures the entitlement of such seashore feudatory as long as they defend it from the black ship from Africa by the muslin seasonal invaders, under this auspicious premise these self-called soldier wretchedly wearing rags start a journey toward Aurocastro, nonetheless during the quest they faces many weird happenings that somehow delayed or swerve it for a while, due some unexpected occurrences along the way as when they meeting a warrior Teofilatto dei Leonzi (Gian Maria Volonté) that claiming for a duel, funny in the struggle at wheat field it was so fierce that no one hits anyone, however slicing almost all crops around.
Unforgettable sequence when the mindless Pecoro (Folco Lucci) disappears dragged through stormy river, later he sudden appears living with a female bear at cave, he replays that such animal saves him and henceforth they live together as a couple including she feeding him with frogs and some vegetables, what an elusive sequence, another droll piece occurs when the troop needs a blacksmith aiming for to set free Brancaleone trapped inside the iron cage, freakishly they finding this man over a bridge about to commit a suicide with a heavy anvil in response a betrayal by his unfaithful wife, that hereinafter joined to the shabby army.
One the most sterling idea ever expose in a movie, all nonsense elements are here in vivid colors, also fully of double meaning expressions, openly against religions customs, Monicelli handles with fictional grassroots, targeting the black humor with rare dexterity, having the fabulous ancient Roman ruins as perfect backdrop enhancing the accuracy in this environment.
Thanks for reading.
Resume:
First watch: 2007 / Source: DVD / How many: 2 / Rating: 9.