Cinepanettoni Invasion

Once upon a time, Italy was a culturally prosperous country. There were great names of Italian music, like Mina, Paolo Conte, Luciano Pavarotti or Lucio Dalla, known everywhere around the world. There were also amazing directors and actors like Antonio De Curtis (better known as Totò), Pier Paolo Pasolini, Federico Fellini, Vittorio De Sica, Marcello Mastroianni, Alberto Sordi, Vittorio Gassman. Their talent is acknowledge by everyone. Gradually, times changed. 

Federico Fellini, Marcello Mastroianni and Sophia Loren

Along with these high level films, Italian cinematic industry decided to produce films “for everyone”. Films that were able to make people laugh. But not a “cultural” laughs; an easy and vulgar one. Something that everybody could easily understand. That’s how popular comedies were created. Inspired by these films, Italian directors Carlo and Enrico Vanzina wanted to make a comedy film set in a Christmas period in 1983. It was the first “cinepanettone”. 

At first, they were nice and funny movies, a bit vulgar but acceptable. Trough the years, more and more directors and actors decided to produce this kind of films, ever more coarse. Now, Italian people, during Christmas period, can choose a big variety of cinepanettoni, one worse than the other. One more vulgar than the other. 

Playbill of "Vacanze di Natale" (1983)

The increase of this type of films affected the production of other kind of films, more exacting so more difficult to understand and incapable to make people laughs. They’re reduced to one or two films per year. One of the most important is “La Grande Bellezza” (“The Great Beauty”). A big thanks to Paolo Sorrentino to let Italy won an Oscar after 15 years. 

"La Grande Bellezza - The Great Beauty" (2013)

This situation makes me think that comedies are more popular in Italy because of the crisis that we are living nowadays. People wants to escape from their dark realities and wants to laugh. They don’t want to think over a movie or to understand a deep meaning. People just want to have fun in the easiest way they can. And these comedies and cinepanettoni are the proof.