Word: viva
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...guerrillas waving their rifles, it looked like a victory parade," reported TIME Mexico City Bureau Chief Bernard Diederich from the scene. "All along the eight-mile route, thousands of Nicaraguans assembled to catch a glimpse and cheer them on like conquering heroes. 'Down with Somoza!' and 'Viva Sandinista!' they shouted. Thousands of others waited at the terminal. 'Yes, they are our heroes,' said one youth. 'To hell with Somoza!' " At the airport, the commandos, who had settled for $500,000 after winning their other demands, armed their newly released comrades with weapons taken from the Deputies' bodyguards at the National...
...Viva Italia! consists of a series of nine brief vignettes, which taken together appear to reflect the current condition of social humor in Italy. Or at least the directorial triumvirate's conception of what Italians think is funny. But the big problem is that very little in the film is actually amusing, and much of it is either revolting, childish, or well outside any reasonable bounds of humor, no matter how sick...
...fairness, though, Viva Italia! does have a couple of good scenes among the tasteless dreck that compounds the greater part of this 90-minute exercise in self-discipline (it took a lot of selfdiscipline to remain in my seat). Alberto Sordi comes up with a truly funny bit as the sybaritic driver of a Rolls-Royce, who encounters an accident victim lying in the road. Although this idly rich fellow is on his way to a family dinner, he is willing to take the poor victim to the hospital. Unfortunately, no hospital will take the dude, and while Sordi prattles...
...with any foreign film, Viva Italia! has a tremendous problem, as very few people in the audience can actually comprehend the dialogue. Italian is such a rapid-fire language that, despite the presence of fairly complete subtitles, you cannot help but feel that you are missing a lot of what might actually be funny. But probably isn't, in this case...
...common cultural bond there; that bond is much weaker with regard to Italy. It is a strange and deeply troubled nation, small wonder then that its filmmakers should present such a dark vision. But while that vision might, possibly--just maybe--have some social significance, the flaws that pervade Viva Italia! make it hardly worthwhile, save for the hardiest Italophile. No one needs to offended, bored, and bewildered; at least no one should have to pay for that privilege, even if Vincent Canby tells them...