Neapolitan Carousel (1954)
Music, ballet, folk dances and mime eliciting the spirit of Naples across the ages are loosely tied together by the comedic wanderings and exploits of the Esposito family.
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If you don't like this, we can't be friends.
Good concept, poorly executed.
a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.
All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
Whoa! I've seen some wacky movies, but this one sure came out of left field. Maybe it's because I've never seen a musical from Italy; when I think of Italian cinema, I think of Federico Fellini and Roberto Benigni. I reckon that nowadays, Ettore Giannini's "Carosello napoletano" - "Neapolitan Carousel" in English - is most notable for an early appearance by Sophia Loren (she plays Sisina). Otherwise, the whole thing runs like a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. It was apparently the first major Italian musical of the postwar era.The plot, as far as I could tell, centers on a family wandering the streets of Naples, singing songs about various events in the city's history. But it's always hard to tell what's real and what isn't. From what I could tell, only one scene even featured a carousel (unless the title had a deeper meaning); kind of like how Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Carousel" only features the title object in one scene. Oh well, I guess that the movie's worth seeing. Usually, I watch musicals only to heckle them. In this case, I didn't know that this was a musical, and I don't consider it appropriate to heckle Sophia Loren.Anyway, it's an OK movie, but trying to follow the plot is sort of a challenge. Also starring Paolo Stoppa, Clelia Matania, Maria Fiore, Nadia Gray and Leonide Massine.