Il Vedovo (Region B)

 

From a prestigious lineage in the ancient art of satirical theatre in commedia dell’arte, the Italian-style comedy distinguished itself in the late 1950s from the earlier broad comedies popularised by the likes of Toto and Vittorio De Sica with a ruthless approach to social satire focused on cynicism and the grotesque. An early example of the switch in tone can be found in Dino Risi’s Il vedovo, in which Italy’s preeminent comedy actor Alberto Sordi plays a philandering husband of a wealthy and successful woman who simply tolerates her husband's ineptitude. Until he sees a potential plan for her death, which would result in a great inheritance for him...

BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES:

• High-Definition digital transfers of Il vedovo, world premiere on Blu-ray 
• Original uncompressed Italian mono PCM audio
• A new visual essay by Italian cinema professor and author of Comedy Italian Style Remi Fournier Lanzoni on the softening of neo-realism which laid the groundwork for the emergence of commedia all’italiana (2023, 18 mins)
• A new visual essay by critic Kat Ellinger on Italian superstar comedy actor Alberto Sordi (2023, 34 mins)
• Newly translated optional English subtitles
• Trailer
• Newly translated optional English subtitles