Mondo Candido (1975)

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Good movie but grossly overrated

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Despite the title, this isn't yet another repellent documentary by the notorious film-makers behind MONDO CANE (1962) et al; rather, it's an adaptation – their only 'proper' feature as a team – of the popular allegory "Candide" by the celebrated French author Voltaire. Incidentally, I own this classic piece of literature and, in fact, had read it some years ago; while I can't objectively determine the film's actual proximity to the source novel (also for reasons I'll get to later), as I lay watching it, I certainly recalled the episodic and essentially tasteless nature of the plot (placing the subject matter firmly down the film-makers' alley!) – not to mention connotations relating to the main characters (the naively optimistic hero Candide, his long-suffering lover Cunegonde – serenely accepting every card dealt her by Fate – and the boy's infuriatingly practical mentor Dr. Pangloss), and even key phrases from the book!! Voltaire's narrative thrust the titular character (after being banished for ravishing Cunegonde) into all the socio-political strife that went on in that particular era; in hindsight, little has changed throughout the centuries – and, in fact, this satirical- picaresque style has influenced other notable works including Evelyn Waugh's "Decline And Fall" (filmed in 1968) and Lindsay Anderson's second "Mick Travis" adventure O LUCKY MAN! (1973). "Candide" itself has been adapted for cinema and TV a number of times, with perhaps the most interesting version being the 1960 French film (which updates the tale to WWII) with an all-star cast – Jean-Pierre Cassel (as the hero), Daliah Lavi (Cunegonde), Pierre Brasseur (Pangloss), Michel Simon, Louis De Funes, Michel Serrault, etc. As for MONDO CANDIDO, it starts off in period vein but then switches to more recent times and events (presumably for a greater political immediacy) – so that we see Candide & Co. involved with IRA bombings, Jewish freedom-fighters, even hippies; that said, it maintains a curious balance throughout of old and new: for instance, at one point Cunegonde is raped by a rocker dressed in a knight's outfit(!) - which emerges to be perhaps the film's comic/absurd highlight. For this reason, the ever-reliable Riz Ortolani provides a suitably eclectic score.Given its considerable length of 110 minutes (and with the only notable performers in the cast being Jacques Herlin as Pangloss and popular Italian comic Gianfranco D'Angelo as Cunegonde's campy Baron father), it's small wonder that the film bogs down after the IRA scenes. Nevertheless, it features ample nudity and violence (notably the slow-motion massacre of the Jewish troops) – to say nothing of weirdness – to keep the interest alive (and is good-looking into the bargain).

Think Fellini meets Burton meets Lynch meets Greenaway meets Pasolini meets any of a half dozen other film makers. A film of visual delights thats coupled with a very thought provoking narrative.The plot concerns a very happy go lucky "skips everywhere with wild abandon" young man who falls madly in love with a princess. When he is caught in an inappropriate situation with her, he's banned from the castle. Thus begins a quest to find his lady love and himself as he travels across a medieval landscape that becomes modern New York, Ireland and Israel. During the course of the journey he finds that all is not as happy and joyous as he once thought.I watched this in Italian with no subtitles and was completely enraptured. This is a visually wonderful film that makes you think and ponder about what life really is and who people are (his grand lady love is far from the chaste goddess he imagines). I can only imagine how much understanding the dialog will add to the experience. This is a film unlike anything they make now a days, and only did when one of the cinema's great minds was behind it. Its wild and wanton and has everything including, in all probability, a kitchen sink. Even 12 hours after viewing it I'm still playing out much of what I saw in my mind. Forgive the lack of discussion but this is a hard film to explain or discuss briefly.Many people don't like the work of the directors Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco E. Prosperi who made their name in the world of Mondo movies and think that all they wanted to do was cause a sensation. On some level I think they did want to do that but at the same time they did manage to turn out some very thought provoking films chiefly Africa Addio and Addio zio Tom. Here they prove that they could do more than real life sensationalism and have managed to turn out a fine little film.I really liked this movie a great deal and look forward to seeing it again with some form of English translation. I recommend it especially if you want to get away from conventional European cinema.

Starting off as some kind of a typical Italian, gross, sexy comedy of the seventies, I wasn't really expecting it could end up digging into me. Lousy gags everywhere, absurd, unacceptable, incoherent sights (I mean, naked female Israeli fighters, come on) and featuring Gianfranco D'Angelo as the baron. "Thrash" seemed the only viable label for that. But as the movie goes on, incoherence, harass and nonsense build up to such an amount (and even mix up with suggestive images) one must admit it really is *something*. Some good time to spend for those who loved "mondo cane," but I probably wouldn't mind enough to start a video shop hunt for it (in fact it was being aired overnight by Italian stations.)

Candide is a nice, innocent young man who is raised in a castle of a noble family in Westphalia during the medieval age. Dr. Pangloss, a teacher of metaphysics and philosophy educates him and tells that he lives in the best of all possible worlds and that any apparent absurdity, misery and conflict are actually all parts of a greater good that mortals cannot perceive. The happy life of Candido changes drastically when he falls in love with the Baron's daughter Cunegonda and is caught with her. Candide is banned from the castle and starts traveling into a timeless world, searching for his lost love. Candide attempts to stay optimistic as unbelievable horrors unfold in a world full of brutality, war, slavery and sickness...The makers of this movie base the film on a cynical satire `Candide' from the French writer Voltaire. Directors Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco Prosperi are known for their documentaries in which they have already presented the horrors of the world: MONDO CANE (part 1 and 2), AFRICA ADDIO and the very revolting ADDIO ZIO TOM. In comparison with other shockumentaries, all these movies are very well directed, have a racy comment and contain unforgettable images. "Mondo Candido" is a masterpiece. It's sensational, sometimes shocking but you will see a series of unforgettable images, very beautifully filmed, even though they are cruel, nihilistic and pessimistic. The superb musical score from Riz Ortolani is available now, but it is very difficult to find this exceptional movie. Rating:10!