Episode 153 – Dino Risi’s Il Sorpasso

Scott, David, and Trevor discuss masculinity, mid-century economics, and fatalism in Dino Risi's 1962 hit.

This time on the podcast, Scott is joined by David Blakeslee and Trevor Barrett to discuss Dino Risi’s Il Sorpasso.

About the film:

The ultimate Italian road comedy, Il sorpasso stars the unlikely pair of Vittorio Gassman and Jean-Louis Trintignant as, respectively, a waggish, freewheeling bachelor and the straitlaced law student he takes on a madcap trip from Rome to Tuscany. An unpredictable journey that careers from slapstick to tragedy, this film, directed by Dino Risi, is a wildly entertaining commentary on the pleasures and consequences of the good life. A holy grail of commedia all’italiana, Il sorpasso is so fresh and exciting that one can easily see why it has long been adored in Italy.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS or in iTunes

Buy The Film On Amazon:

Beach Scene:

Episode Links:

Il Sorpasso (1962) – The Criterion Collection
Il sorpasso: Italy, Dark and Light – From the Current- The Criterion Collection
Il sorpasso: The Joys of Disillusionment – From the Current- The Criterion Collection
Sex and the Italian Driver – From the Current – The Criterion Collection
Il Sorpasso (1962) – IMDb
Il Sorpasso – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Episode Credits:

Scott Nye (Twitter / Battleship Pretension)
David Blakeslee (Twitter / Criterion Reflections)
Trever Berrett (Twitter / Mookse and Gripes)

Next time on the podcast: Marcel Carné’s Port of Shadows

Music from this episode is by Dean Martin (“King of the Road”) and Edoardo Vianello (“Guarda Come Dondolo”)