Hot Potato (1979 film) explained

Hot Potato
Director:Steno
Starring:Renato Pozzetto
Music:Totò Savio
Cinematography:Giorgio Arlorio
Editing:Raimondo Crociani
Producer:Achille Manzotti
Runtime:100 minutes
Country:Italy
Language:Italian

Hot Potato (Italian: La patata bollente) is a 1979 Commedia all'italiana film directed by Steno. The film discusses a range of issues such as homophobia in the political left, Anni di piombo violence, working class culture, and the sustainability of Eurocommunism.[1]

Plot

Bernardo Mambelli nicknamed "il Gandi" (Renato Pozzetto) is a PCI militant and pugilist working at a Milanese paint factory. One night, he sees a fascist gang beating a frail young man (Massimo Ranieri). He saves the man and brings him to his house to learn that he is Claudio, a homosexual. With nowhere to go and recovering from the assault, Claudio starts staying at Bernardo's house but a series of typical misunderstandings lead his comrades as well as his girlfriend Maria (Edwige Fenech) to believing that he has "turned gay". Bernardo is now seen as a potential lost cause and the ongoings soon reveal a "hot potato" situation for him.

Cast

Production

The film was initially conceived as a segment of a two-part film titled "Fa male michiare" directed by Nanni Loy; the two segments were eventually developed into full-length films, the other of them becoming Loy's Café Express.[2]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Milano-Firenze . Mo-Net s.r.l. . La patata bollente (1979) . MYmovies.it . 2021-05-25.
  2. Book: Giusti, Marco . Marco Giusti . Dizionario Stracult della commedia sexy . 2019 . Bloodbuster edizioni . 978-88-943385-3-9 . 326–7 . La patata bollente.