''In the Name of the Italian People'' () is a 1971

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

comedy-

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Dino Risi Dino Risi (23 December 1916 – 7 June 2008) was an Italian film director. With Mario Monicelli, Luigi Comencini, Nanni Loy, and Ettore Scola, he was one of the masters of ''commedia all'italiana''. Biography Risi was born in Milan. He had an ...

. It represents a reflection about the crisis of the Italian judiciary and the growing phenomenon of

corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...

Plot

Set in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

and its surroundings, the film tells in a style that is frighteningly realistic, ruthless and grotesque the evil of two powerful men of Italy in the seventies: a Director of illegal buildings (Vittorio Gassman), extremist fascist, and an upright judge, cynical looking in part to the Italian law (Ugo Tognazzi). Both can not stand each other, given the contrasts between the two men in any social, political and philosophical. Everyone hates each other and would like to delete it, but just because of the bad example that the two men give power to the people, many Italians are adversely affected because of cheating and rudeness of the fascist manufacturer and the communist magistrate. The director Dino Risi underlines the misdeeds and the weakness of the Italian people to react accordingly, by focusing on the story of these two men who are each other's opposite of the net.

Cast

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 ...

: Judge Mariano Bonifazi *

Vittorio Gassman Vittorio Gassman (; born Gassmann; 1 September 1922 – 29 June 2000), popularly known as , was an Italian actor, director, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the greatest Italian actors, whose career includes both important producti ...

: Lorenzo Santenocito *

Yvonne Furneaux Yvonne Furneaux (born Elisabeth Yvonne Scatcherd; 11 May 1926 – 5 July 2024) was a French-British actress. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, she worked with notable filmmakers like Peter Brook, Federico Fellini, Roman Polanski, ...

: Lavinia Santenocito *

Ely Galleani Ely Galleani (born Federica Elisabetta De Galleani; 24 April 1953), sometimes credited as Justine Gall and Ely Gall, is a retired Italian film actress. Born in Alassio, Italy, as Federica Elisabetta De Galleani, daughter of an Italian count and ...

: Silvana Lazzorini *

Pietro Tordi Pietro Tordi (12 July 1906 – 14 December 1990) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 100 films between 1942 and 1988. He was born in Florence, Italy. Selected filmography * '' Doctor Antonio'' (1937) - L'altro conspiratore * '' Don C ...

: Professor Rivaroli *

Simonetta Stefanelli Simonetta Stefanelli (; born 30 November 1954) is an Italian former actress. Internationally, she is best known for her performance as Apollonia Vitelli-Corleone in the 1972 film ''The Godfather'', directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Her other ro ...

: Giugi Santenocito *

Franco Angrisano Franco Angrisano (10 May 1926 – 20 September 1996) was an Italian actor. He appeared in more than seventy films. Life and career Born in Potenza, Angrisano was mainly active on stage, where he often worked with Eduardo De Filippo Eduardo De ...

: Colombo *

Renato Baldini Renato Baldini (18 December 1921 – 5 July 1995) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 87 films between 1950 and 1983. He was born in Rome, Italy. Selected filmography * ''It's Forever Springtime'' (1950) - Un carabiniere al processo ...

: Accountant Cerioni *

Checco Durante Francesco "Checco" Durante (19 November 1893 – 5 January 1976) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 59 films between 1931 and 1973. Selected filmography * '' The Doctor in Spite of Himself'' (1931) * '' The Amnesiac'' (1936) - L'all ...

: Pieronti, the archivist *

Giò Stajano Countess Maria Gioacchina Stajano Starace Briganti di Panico, known simply as Giò Stajano (1931–2011), was an Italian socialite, writer, journalist, actress, and painter. In the 1960s, before her transition and gender reassignment surgery (1 ...

: Floriano Roncherini

References

External links

* 1971 films Commedia all'italiana Films directed by Dino Risi Films scored by Carlo Rustichelli 1971 comedy-drama films Films with screenplays by Age & Scarpelli 1970s Italian films Italian comedy-drama films 1970s Italian-language films Italian-language comedy-drama films {{1970s-comedy-drama-film-stub