Il vigile

After stopping film star Sylva Koscina at a road control, motorbike police officer Otello Celletti (Alberto Sordi) turns two blind eyes to her driving. When she thanks him on television, he receives a warning from the mayor (Vittorio De Sica) for not treating everyone equally. Otello takes the mayor at his word and issues him a speeding ticket, has him show him his hazard warning triangle and follows his car to the house of his lover. The traffic police officer becomes a political hot potato and is pushed by the monarchists as a opposing candidate to the mayor. Luigi Zampa’s commedia all’italiana is a magnificent political satire about double morals, corruption, power and uniforms. (hjf)