I soliti ignoti

A couple of petty criminals dream of a big coup. They come up with a plot to burgle the safe of a pawnshop via a flimsy wall in an adjacent apartment. In the process, just about everything that could go wrong does go wrong. Made as the picturesque comedies of neorealismo rosa were turning into a more biting, satirical form of comedy, I SOLITI IGNOTI is considered the first Commedia all'italiana film, combining a cartoon-like stereotyping of characters with a neorealist emphasis on poor neighborhoods on the outskirts of Rome. The comedy is matched by the tragedy of the protagonists' efforts to find a place in society. The ensemble film brought together stars of the genre such as Marcello Mastroianni and Vittorio Gassman with the comedian Totò and also - in one of her first roles - Claudia Cardinale. (hjf)