Quelle joie de vivre (1960)
Directed by René Clément

Film Review

There is some irony in the fact that René Clément's only comic film deals with a subject that would appear to be hard to find humour in, namely the origins of Fascism in Italy of the early 1920s.  Clément is following in the footsteps of the great Italian filmmakers who, from the 1940s, have endeavoured to find fun in some very dark subjects, and his style in this film is certainly more redolent of the Italian school of neo-realist filmmaking than conventional French cinema of the period.  Having made an international star of Alain Delon in his previous film, Plein soleil (1960), Clément makes good use of the actor's talents in this film.  Whilst some of the comedy is clumsy and obscenely “comic book” in places, there are some marvellous examples of black comedy - most notably the hilarious (but deadly serious) bomb hunt in the final passage of the film.

Film Synopsis

Rome, 1921.  After completing his military service, an idealistic young man named Ulisse decides to enlist in the Fascist Party, believing this offers the best future for his country after WWI.  His first assignment is to locate a workshop that has been printing anti-fascist pamphlets.  More by luck than effort, Ulisse finds the offending workshop but ends up being offered a job by its owner, Olinto Fossati.  Even though he has nothing but contempt for his employer's anarchist views, Ulisse can't help being drawn to his attractive daughter, Franca.  The committed Fascist has a hard time keeping his political allegiances under wraps and it isn't long before Fossati's household become suspicious of him.  Ulisse's cover is about to be well and truly blown when Franca's grandfather unexpectedly comes to his rescue and mistakenly identifies him as one of the country's most notorious anarchists.  Before he knows it, Ulisse is drawn into an anarchist plot to wreak havoc at a disarmament conference...