On 4 June 1994 the great Italian artist passed away. A genius ahead of his time and light years away from stereotypes and clichés. As demonstrated by the TV film shot in 1982, after the extraordinary success of I’ll start again from three, in which the comedian stages his own funeral. A hilarious fake reportage with the participation of Roberto Benigni, Carlo Verdone, Renzo Arbore, Lello Arena, Maurizio Nichetti and the dog Lassie
“Death is a level”, as Totò knew very well. A universal truth, also known to Massimo Troisi. Two geniuses, sons of Partenope, united by an overwhelming comic face, capable of shuffling the cards, of deceiving the grim reaper, of even joking at the end of the game. Of course, the director di I’ll start again from three he left us too soon. He passed away at the age of 41, on 4 June 1994. Yet, even on the 30th anniversary of his passing, the filmmaker seems to still be among us, thanks to his contagious vitality, his unique eloquence, his never standardized comedy. . It is no coincidence that Mario Martone titled his wonderful documentary dedicated to Troisi Someone over there loves me. Because Massimo continues to be loved everywhere and by anyone, in this world and the other. And let’s imagine that now he is looking at us right from up there and slyly smiles, thinking of that television film broadcast for the first time on 21 January 1982 during a special episode of the Rai Tre series What are you doing… laughing?. A fake reportage in which the comedian staged his own death, sealed by the unequivocal title Troisi dead, long live Troisi!available on Raiplay (also visible on Sky Glass, Sky Q and via app on NOW Smart Stick)
From Lory Del Santo to Riccardo Cocciante, united in the memory of Troisi
“Good morning, you are connected live to San Giorgio a Cremano. What you see are the modest images of the funeral home that has been hosting the body of Massimo Troisi for a few hours. A sleepless, incredulous and stunned crowd is pressing towards the entrance. Thousands and thousands of people, who have come from all over Italy, barely held back by the police, wait to be able to say goodbye to Massimo for the last time; as always, this latest Troisi show is also sold out.” It begins with these words, spoken off-screen by the official voice of the news, Troisi dead, long live Troisi!. We are at the beginning of the 80s and the Neapolitan genius, with the complicity of Anna Pavignano and Lello Arena, is already playing ahead, predicting the future fashion of mockumentaries, dancing, elegantly like Vaslav Nijinsky, between reality and fiction. With only one film to his credit, RI’ll start with three, filmed in 1981, the actor and director already knows he has a great future behind him. And that he was a much-loved artist can be understood from Parterre de rois who willingly participated in the fake funeral. In order, Gianni Boncompagni, Rosanna Vaudetti, Fabrizio Zampa, Nadia Cassini, Pippo Caruso, Pippo Franco, Pippo (yes, Disney’s anthropomorphic dog friend of Mickey Mouse), Maria Giovanna Elmi, the parrot from the Portobello programme, Riccardo Cocciante, Lory Del Santo, Piera Rolandi, Giampiero Galeazzi, Jocelyn, Mario Pastore and last but not leastthe dog Lassie.
in-depth analysis
Somebody loves me over there, Mario Martone’s doc on Massimo Troisi
Massimo Troisi, in private, is Princess Anne of England
In Troisi dead, long live Troisi! sIt reveals all the subversive power of the Smorfia gags, but also the perfidy of the Anthology of black humor selected by Breton (the surrealists laughed at funerals and cried at weddings) and the contagious madness of Monty Python. The film even anticipates certain ideas from the future series The Griffins by Seth McFarlane, with the Neapolitan actor and director who claims to be Princess Anne of England in private and with Marco Messeri who identifies himself with an Arabian horse named Abukir. Priceless, then, is Roberto Benigni who incognito, hidden by a veil and with a very unlikely Neapolitan accent, speaks ill of Troisi, who according to him is a surveyor incapable even of counting, as well as addicted to every type of narcotic substance. And all we have to do is cry from laughing too much.
The memory of Carlo Verdone, Roberto Benigni and Renzo Arbore
Between the clichés that in Naples the diet includes only pizza and spaghetti (woe to those who eat gnocchi) and the hilarious joke of imagining crowds of kids injured in the head by mandolins that, from Vomero to the Spanish Quarter, go crazy in all the streets, Troisi reminds us that we just can’t reason with death. However it can be celiac with the last breath. And Massimo, undisputed master of (self) irony, processes mourning with an irresistible gimmick. With the proceeds from his film she built a retirement home for artists. Busy playing cards we find elderly and shabby Carlo Verdone, Roberto Benigni, Maurizio Nichetti and Renzo Arbore. And this last one enlightens us with the following words: “Massimo was better alive than dead”. We think so too. So let’s start again from three. We thought it was love but instead it was a carriage Why the ways of the lord are finished.So sorry for the delay, but it is always time to shout to the world: Viva Troisi! Yesterday Today and Tomorrow.
