La macchina ammazzacattivi

Rossellini had a wry sense of humor that showed up particularly in L'AMORE and his life of Francis of Assisi. Unfortunately for him, film making is a commercial art, and when people want to see a film by Roberto Rossellini, they want a drama. So this comedy, which owes a lot to E.T.A. Hoffman and Ernst Lubitsch (the preface even borrows from Lubitsch' DIE PUPPE) confounded the audiences. They expected a serious, small scale tragedy, and so didn't laugh. They stayed away and the film vanished for almost half a century. If you wanted a black comedy, you went to see a Billy Wilder film. Rossellini went back to doing what his audiences expected of him.

It's a pity. This is not a ground-breaking film for Rossellini, but it is a beautifully photographed and well-acted comedy with some wonderful pick-up shots.

If you see this movie, I suggest that you go in without any expectation of seeing a Rossellini film. Just give it the chance that you would give a film by some one you've never heard of before. On those terms, I expect you'll enjoy it a lot.

Aren't those the terms we should offer every movie?