Another fabel/comedy of the dangers for the poor Italian man who dares to rise up in society and challenge the high and mighty.This film is made in a more comical but realistic vein, and is well filmed.Alberto Sordi's acting is superb, and there is not a boring moment in the film ! This is a typical Italian neo realistic comedy, which was in such peak form in the late 1950's and early 1960's.Rarely, do Italians make such entertaining films nowadays,(with the exception of Pieracchioni and further back in time , Carlo Verdoni).
Othello(played by Alberto S.), an unemployed loser, is constantly being jeered at and publicly humilated at the local Cafès and bars, for being a useless man supported by his hard working wife ….until…..through family connections and friends he gets a job as a traffic policeman in his small provincial town.
The table is completely overturned, and as he proudly struts around in his black shining uniform,... not a bad word is said behind his back,as he smugly points out to his son, because now Alberto has become the authority, and no-one dares move when he passes by !However there is one problem,he enters his role with a little too enthusiasm , fining and hassling everyone, including the Mayor, local politicians and big wigs, but their annoyance is further increased , when he enters the local political scene, as a mayoral candidate with resounding success upsetting the established order, and at this point the old plutocrats hit back,and Alberto, is forced by blackmail , to return to his former police job !!
A well deserved 9 vote