''The Joy of Living'' (, ) is a 1961 Italian-French

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by

René Clément René Clément (; 18 March 1913 – 17 March 1996) was a French film director and screenwriter. He is known for directing the films ''The Battle of the Rails'' (1946), ''Forbidden Games'' (1952), ''Gervaise (film), Gervaise'' (1956), ''Purple No ...

. It was entered into the

1961 Cannes Film Festival The 14th Cannes Film Festival took place from 3 to 18 May 1961. French writer Jean Giono served as jury president for the main competition. The ''Palme d'Or'' was jointly awarded to '' The Long Absence'' by Henri Colpi and '' Viridiana'' by Lu ...

Plot

The story is set in Rome, in the year 1921. Ulisse (

Alain Delon Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon (; 8 November 1935 – 18 August 2024) was a French actor, film producer, screenwriter, singer, and businessman. Acknowledged as a cultural and cinematic leading man of the 20th century, Delon emerged as one of ...

) enrolls in the Italian Fascist party because he cannot find any employment. The first task entrusted to him by the party leads Ulysses to the printer Fossati, where he's hired as an apprentice. This brings him into contact with a family of anarchists, who will turn him into a reluctant hero for love of the beautiful Franca ( Barbara Lass). However, at a time when he must make a decisive choice, Ulysses obeys neither the anarchists nor the fascists, and risks his life for a different idea of freedom.

Cast

as Ulisse Cecconato * Barbara Lass as Franca Fossati *

Gino Cervi Luigi Cervi (3 May 1901 – 3 January 1974), better known as Gino Cervi (), was an Italian actor. He was best known for portraying Peppone in a series of comedies based on the character ''Don Camillo'' (1952–1965), and police detective Jul ...

as Olinto Fossati *

Rina Morelli Rina Morelli (6 December 1908 – 17 July 1976) was an Italian film and stage actress. She appeared in 34 films between 1939 and 1976. Her husband, Paolo Stoppa, was an Italian stage and film actor, as well as a renowned Italian language dub ...

as Rosa Fossati *

Carlo Pisacane Carlo Pisacane, Duke of San Giovanni (1818–1857) was an Italian patriot and one of the first Italian socialist thinkers. He was an early advocate of propaganda by deed, arguing that violence was necessary not only to draw attention to, or gen ...

as Grandfather "Fossati" *

Paolo Stoppa Paolo Stoppa (6 June 1906 – 1 May 1988) was an Italian actor. Biography Paolo Stoppa was born in Rome into a family of a ministerial official, Luigi Stoppa, and Adriana De Antonis. He began as a stage actor in 1927 in the theater in Rome ...

as Hairdresser *

Giampiero Littera Giampiero Littera (born 25 June 1938) is an Italian former film actor. Life and career Born in Rome, Littera, while still a teenager, made his film debut in Luciano Emmer's ''High School''. Four years later, after completing his high school stud ...

as Turiddu *

Didi Perego Didi Perego (born Aida Perego; 13 April 1935 – 28 June 1993) was a statuesque Italian actress who appeared in more than 80 films and television shows. She made her film debut in 1959's '' Death of a Friend''. The same year, she starred in per ...

as Isabella *

Nanda Primavera Nanda Primavera (23 August 1898 – 9 August 1995) was an Italian actress. She appeared in more than thirty films from 1936 to 1988. Filmography References External links * 1898 births 1995 deaths Italian film actresses People fro ...

Ugo Tognazzi Ottavio "Ugo" Tognazzi (23 March 1922 – 27 October 1990) was an Italian actor, director, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the most important faces of Italian comedy together with Vittorio Gassman, Nino Manfredi, Marcello Mastr ...

as Anarchist *

Aroldo Tieri Aroldo Tieri (28 August 1917 – 28 December 2006) was an Italian actor. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1939 and 1969. Life and career Born in Corigliano Calabro, province of Cosenza, son of the journalist and playwright Vincen ...

Leopoldo Trieste Leopoldo Trieste (3 May 1917 – 25 January 2003) was an Italian actor, film director and script writer. Trieste was born in Reggio Calabria. He worked with directors such as Pietro Germi, Francis Ford Coppola, Giuseppe Tornatore, Mario Bava, T ...

Gastone Moschin Gastone Moschin (; 8 June 1929 – 4 September 2017) was an Italian stage, television and film actor. Career Born in San Giovanni Lupatoto (Veneto), Moschin graduated from the Accademia Nazionale di Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico and then began ...

References

External links

* 1961 films Commedia all'italiana 1960s Italian-language films 1961 comedy films French black-and-white films Films directed by René Clément Films set in Rome Films set in the 1920s Films with screenplays by Pierre Bost 1960s French films 1960s Italian films Italian-language French films Italian-language comedy films {{1960s-France-film-stub