I Quattro Tassisti – The Four Taxi Drivers (Giorgio Bianchi – 1963)
Published
With 2015 coming upon us, I figured there is nothing like rewinding the clock back to this 1963 quaint cinematic gem to usher in the New Year.
Once upon a time there were 4 taxi drivers… This charming film brings four short films – urban fables, if you will – that each capture a different human aspect of taxi driver life.
Long before reality TV recognized the vantage point taxi drivers have on the stream of life and people, director Giorgio Bianchi – who started his career as an actor in the silent movie era of 1929 – delivers four poignant stories that offer another facet of the Italian comedy (Commedia all’italiana) genre.
The first episode, “Lo sposo” (The Groom), features the street-smart Filomena (Didi Perego) driving Baldassarre Boldrini (Gino Bramieri), a groom on his way to his wedding – his mammone (mummy’s boy) demeanor contrasted with her sharp-tongued, assertive style creates ample funny moments.
The second, “Un’opera buona” (Nice Piece of Work), turns to seduction, sin and honor around a sweaty Neapolitan driver (the great Peppino De Filippo as Pasquale Scognamillo) and his client, a beautiful nun (Graziella Granata).
The third, “Caccia al tesoro” (The Treasure Hunt), follows Pomilio Barone (Erminio Macario) driving a tipsy high-society client around Torino as part of a treasure hunt game – the driver’s gradual shift from enabler to participant is emotionally charged.
The final episode, “L’uomo in blu” (The Man in Blue), stars the giant Aldo Fabrizi as Sor Gigi, the taxi driver whose cab an escaping criminal (Gianrico Tedeschi) happens to board.
All four episodes show how a taxicab is a prime setting for growing conflicts and unlikely combinations that drive the comic stories forward.
From all of us at cafe Pellicola, we wish you an epic 2015 with lots of new movies to discover and appreciate.
