The Rogues (film)

1987 film
  • 1988 (1988)
Running time
120 minutesCountriesItaly
SpainLanguageItalian

I picari, internationally released as The Rogues, is a 1987 Italian comedy film written and directed by Mario Monicelli. It is freely inspired by the Spanish novels Lazarillo de Tormes and Guzman de Alfarache.[1]

The film was co-produced with Spain, where it was released as Los alegres pícaros.[2]

Plot

I picari was the last of Monicelli's films, such as L'armata Brancaleone, to be set in the Renaissance and medieval eras. As in his previous films, a tilting of the society and surroundings of the characters makes the film a parody of the goliardic lifestyle of the 12th or 13th century.

In 17th-century Spain, vagrants Lazarillo and Guzman meet as slaves on a ship. Both had a troubled and difficult childhood because of their parents. The first was adopted by a prostitute and a blind wanderer (Nino Manfredi) who earned a living by cheating and stealing. The second was beaten and scourged. Escaping from the ship in which they were held captive, Lazarillo and Guzman stop at a strange place where they cheat a blacksmith. Later, disguised as gentleman, they are hosted by an impoverished nobleman (Vittorio Gassman). The two tramps, who hoped to make a fortune by entering the service of a nobleman, are shocked by his poor quarters and dire living conditions. Lazarillo and Guzman then become part of a theater company, scrape together some money, buy a prostitute, and encounter a gang of criminals. One of them kills a king's guard and is sentenced to death. His friend saves him by replacing him with another prisoner.

Cast

  • Giancarlo Giannini: Guzman de Alfarache
  • Enrico Montesano: Lazarillo de Tormes
  • Vittorio Gassman: Marquis Felipe de Aragona
  • Nino Manfredi: the blind wanderer
  • Giuliana De Sio: Rosario
  • Bernard Blier: the pimp
  • Paolo Hendel: the tutor
  • Vittorio Caprioli: Mozzafiato
  • Enzo Robutti: the Captain of the ship
  • Blanca Marsillach: Ponzia
  • Maria Casanova: Pregnant Woman
  • Claudio Bisio: the leader of the mutinied rowers
  • Sal Borgese: the boatswain
  • Sabrina Ferilli the young prostitute

See also

References

  1. ^ Leonardo De Franceschi. Lo sguardo eclettico. Marsilio, 2001.
  2. ^ Roberto Chiti; Roberto Poppi; Enrico Lancia. Dizionario del cinema italiano. Gremese Editore, 1991.

External links

  • The Rogues at IMDb Edit this at Wikidata
  • v
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  • e
Films directed by Mario Monicelli