Sony G90 - Manual (Page 89)

original Pink Panther film – go figure). Sad to say,
though, the film just doesn’t work. The dramatic plot
of international intrigue (the kidnapping of the
Princess of Lugash played by Debrah Farentino) is
murky and uninteresting. The comic plot with which
it is intertwined – that of Commissioner Dreyfus’ (the great Her-
bert Lom) discovery of a bumbling yet dedicated Gendarme
(Benigni) who causes the return of his familiar paranoia and
accompanying facial tick, is an inspired concept. Naturally,
Benigni is delightful as Jacques Gambrelli-Clouseau, Jr. – and
though there are a number of hilarious moments and bits of busi-
ness, the direction is stale, and the poorly realized script doesn’t
give Benigni enough to work with. For Benigni fans, it is worth
watching for those fun moments, and it includes Braschi in a
cute cameo – which perhaps hints at a sequel.
MGM/UA Home Video released the film in pan-and-scan on
VHS (which is out of print, but seemingly about to be reissued)
and in widescreen (2.35:1) on laserdisc [ML103044], which origi-
nally retailed for $35 but can now be had for $10. The disc also
includes the trailer, which gives the impression of a much better
film. With its scope framing and chapter markers, the disc is a
great way to savor Benigni’s best bits. Oddly, the jacket lists both
the aspect ratio and running time incorrectly.
The Monster (Il Mostro)
1994 • 111 minutes
Produced right before Life Is Beautiful, The Monster is a near
perfect comedy of mistaken identity, making it an obvious
companion piece to Johnny Stecchino. (Like Stecchino, t h i s
film also sports a nifty score by Evan Lurie.) Benigni plays
Loris, a clever fellow who gets by on part-time odd jobs, sup-
plementing his resources through inventive small-time
scams as he manages to stay one step ahead of his creditors
(a character not unlike Chaplin’s Tramp). Through a hilari-
ous risqué incident and subsequent misunderstanding, Loris
is pegged by the local law enforcement as the elusive sex-
crazed serial killer they’ve been after. Sure that they have
their man, they put the unknowing Loris under surveillance,
and as they misconstrue every innocent move he makes,
they become progressively more convinced that he is the
m u r d e r e r. Obsessed with catching Loris red-handed (and
finding out what makes him tick), the police psychologist
(splendid French star Michel Blanc) enlists the assistance of
a policewoman named Jessica (again, the enchanting
Braschi) to go undercover as “bait.” Pretending to look for
an apartment, she ends up rooming with the unsuspecting
Loris, who is mystified at her relentless attempts to be
provocative. The comic situations and developments that
take place under these circumstances are nothing short of
hysterical. The ending (a topper to a running gag) is exquis-
ite and serves as a loving nod to Chaplin. The film is brim-
ming with brilliant gags and bits of slapstick resulting in
farce on a grand scale. That, combined with the vibrant char-
acterizations of the entire cast makes this one of the most
satisfying comedies of all time. This may be just the begin-
ning of what Benigni, along with Braschi, has in store for us.
The film was released in Italian with English subtitles on
VHS through Columbia TriStar Home Video in 1997 and has
just recently come down in price to
the $20 range. The transfer is service-
able although it’s clear throughout
that the film would have greatly bene-
fited from letterboxing. It’s worth not-
ing that the version available here
omits an early four-minute sequence
that, while not essential, is quite funny
and sets up certain adversarial relation-
ships that follow.
Alice Artzt is a professional classical
guitarist who has performed world -
wide and recorded extensively. She
writes on music for
The Absolute
Sound.
Bruce Lawton is a motion picture and
video specialist, serving for five years
as archival director of New York’s Kil -
liam Shows, where many silent clas -
sics are stored. He has produced and
edited documentaries and presenta -
tions for public and international
television, and has presided over
home video and laserdisc releases for
Republic Pictures Home Video and the
Voyager Company. He writes for
Sound and Vision, and BraiPlay.com,
and produces “live” film presenta -
tions (including
The Silent Clowns
series) in New York City.