1973 ode to lifeRating: 18/20
Plot: Life goes on as usual in a small 1930's Italian town as the fascists rise to power. Memories and mammaries, randy uncles screaming from treetops, circle jerks in automobiles, blind accordionists, life and death. Characters drift in and out of frame.
Another great movie from 1973! I love these kinds of movies that gently wash over you, grab you and place you in a familiar yet completely unfamiliar world for a couple hours, and just make the world seem more comfortable. I think this has the feel of M. Hulot's Holiday (especially with that recurring motorcycle rider), albeit a lot less talky and modern. You feel like a voyeur, catching glimpses of the lives of characters you're not really supposed to but then feeling a lot better because of it. There are magical moments, some great humor (love the fart jokes and especially a masturbation scene), and some lovely images (the "snowfall" bringing on spring at the beginning of the film and the peacock in the snow). Meandering and buoyant.