Criterion Collection: Il Sorpasso | Blu-ray Review

In the spirit of spring, Dino Rici’s tragicomedy Il Sorpasso from 1962 has been given a vibrant rebirth courtesy of Criterion. Rarely seen and largely forgotten in recent years, Il Sorpasso retains many structures of the classic road movie, seasoned with glimpses of the era’s growing sense of rebellious dissatisfaction. Over the years, it has proven to be an influential work; its descendant branches laced throughout any analysis of the classic film genre of wandering heroes. Artistically, Il Sorpasso may not rank among the best of the category, but its seductive amalgam of bildungsroman, social commentary and cautionary tale make for a compelling and infectious watch.

Il Sorpasso’s unlikely odyssey orbits around the burgeoning friendship between Bruno (Vittorio Gassman), a zesty 40 year old raconteur and Roberto (Jean-Louis Trintignant), a quiet, bookish law student half his age. Bruno dashes about the ancient streets of Rome in a battered Lancia convertible; its sleek lines and sporty contours held together by rusty wire and Bondo. The car’s unkempt exterior serves as a clever manifestation of the carelessness of Bruno’s existence, and quickly roughs in a character sketch that Gassman will soon render in crisp definition. On the opposite extreme is young Roberto, who has elected to spend a beautiful summer afternoon in a cramped flat huddled among his beloved textbooks, preparing for an exam weeks in the future. When the two men meet by happenstance, the opposite polarities of their souls strangely attract, and over the next two days a good natured sort of cage match will be fought, as the sensualist and the sedulous square off in philosophical battle.

Like all good road films. Il Sorpasso also serves as a journey of discovery with the backstories of Bruno and Roberto slowly revealed along the dusty trails of Tuscany. Set during the Ferragosto holiday, when vast throngs of festive Italians head to the shore, Bruno’s convertible sputters through a largely deserted landscape, lending the film an apocalyptic aura. And, in many ways, it is an apocalyptic trek for Roberto who has his idyllic childhood fantasies squashed by Bruno’s cynical but chillingly accurate observations. Along the way, the pair encounter a cross-section of modern Italian society, including calcified gentry desperately clinging to privileges all but destroyed by WWII, a working class no longer satisfied with salvation and servitude, and an emerging nouveau-riche who proudly proclaim their shallow obsession with the new and shiny.

During this spiritual safari, young Roberto will learn many lessons; some will be bittersweet while others will lead him to fully embrace life’s sunny possibilities. Trintignant was 32 years old and a veteran of film sets when Il Sorpasso was shot, but here he’s totally convincing as the naive college boy. However it’s Gassman’s exuberant Bruno that gives the film its irresistible momentum. This aging, blue collar playboy attacks his scenes like a cyclone twisting towards an abandoned farmhouse. And like a cyclone, his maelstrom leaves a path of wreckage that others have to clean up while he flashes a gleaming smile from a safe distance. Both he and Trintignant would go on to long careers in the industry, and here Vittorio Gassman perfectly embodies the robust charm and joy of life that infuses civilization’s ancient cradle. His cocksure enthusiasm can lead to disastrous missteps, but like the beauty of Italy, it’s a thing to behold.

Disc Review

Il Sorpasso lives again, thanks to another wonderful Criterion transfer. The original aspect of 1.85:1 is retained with a wonderfully rich, full palette. Sharpness is quite good without the introduction of excessive grain, and the restoration efforts pay off handsomely. Equally impressive is the crisp, nicely balanced mono track. Like most Italian films of this period, Il Sorpasso was post synced, with all dialogue and sound effects recorded in studio. Criterion’s mix lends a convincing vibrancy to the audio, with consistent presence and pristine quietness.

New introduction by filmmaker Alexander Payne
Here Payne describes Il Sorpasso’s similarities to such films as Withnail & I and Zorba the Greek, along with the ways it influenced his own film Sideways. 5 min.

New interviews with screenwriter Ettore Scola and film scholar Rémi Fournier Lanzoni
Scola goes into detail on the origins of commedia all’italiana and social conditions in post-war Italy. He makes a compelling case for Gassman’s Bruno as an embodiment of Italian middle-class attitudes and describes the struggle he and director Dino Rissi went through to retain the film’s downbeat ending. 14 min.

Lanzoni discusses Risi’s early days in the industry, and how his work differed from other popular directors of the time. He also addresses commedia all’italiana and points out crucial ways the genre is distinct from neorealism. Using film clips, Lanzoni shows the importance of new technology, such as pay phones and vending machines, to the advancement of Il Sorpasso’s storyline. 16 min.

Interview from 2004 with director Dino Risi, conducted by film critic Jean A. Gili
In this 20 minute segment, the late director talks about adventurous car trips he took as a young man, and how these experiences shaped the idea of Il Sorpasso. Risi also describes the film’s international success, especially in Argentina, where the film became a sensation and the word “sorpasso” entered the dialect as a synonym for rogue.

Introduction by actor Jean-Louis Trintignant from a 1983 French television broadcast of the film
Filmed in an Italian restaurant, this 9 minute supplement features the recollections of a rather shy Trintignant. He offers insight on how the film helped his career and the importance of automobiles to Italy’s post war economy. He recalls how the film was dismissed as light comedy, but grew to be appreciated over the years as a serious work of cinema

A Beautiful Vacation, a 2006 documentary on Risi featuring interviews with the director and his collaborators and friends
In this case the “vacation” refers to the rich life and career of director Dino Risi. At age 90, Risi reflects on his past accomplishments, describing the interview as “psychotherapy.” Risi discloses his attempt to commit suicide when he was 17; an action that was thwarted – appropriately enough – by the rather comical intervention of a gun salesman. Also included are comments from Risi’s family, various journalists and actress Monica Bellucci, who Risi mentored early in her career. The 55 minute piece is a fascinating portrait of this uniquely Italian director, and most viewers will find it worthwhile.

Excerpts from a 2012 documentary that returns to Castiglioncello, the location for the film’s beach scenes
Directed by Marco Risi, this documentary revisits several of the locations used in Il Sorpasso. Through a mixture of interviews and home movies, the younger Risi creates a fascinating sense of the era. Also included is a visit to the Brigadoon nightclub – still operational and open to the public – where several critical scenes were filmed. 11 min.

Speaking with Gassman, a 2005 documentary on the relationship between actor Vittorio Gassman and Risi, directed by Risi’s son Marco
This 30 minute piece is filled with amusing and poignant anecdotes about the special friendship between Risi and Gassman. Creating some 16 films together, the two men shared a unique bond – a bond that occasionally threaten to tatter – through both glories and upheavals; hits and flops. Risi and Gassman were both collaborators and competitors, especially when it came to publicity and the affections of certain females. This is by far the most entertaining and rewarding of the supplements, and should be considered essential viewing.

PLUS: An essay by critic Phillip Lopate, an essay by critic Antonio Monda (dual-format only), as well as excerpts from Risi’s writings, with an introduction by film critic Valerio Caprara (dual-format only)

Also included is a 36 page booklet with an excellent selection of film stills. Lopate’s essay offers a fine distillation of Il Sorpasso’s key moments and a thorough appreciation of Gassman’s acting techniques. The dual-format edition includes the film on Blu-ray and DVD, with each format containing the complete bonus materials.

Final Thoughts

Il Sorpasso strikes a nihilistic note before all is said and done, and some viewers will likely be a bit gobsmacked with the results. However it’s a tonality that would later be found in a number of the iconic films of this tumultuous decade, from Godard’s Weekend to the American counter-culture fantasy Easy Rider, to name just a few. Criterion is to be commended for finally making this long overlooked classic readily available to North American audiences. Il Sorpasso manages to entertain, educate and elevate; its tableau of life in post-war Italy revealing universal truths through a cracked, grimy windshield.