Pietro Germi’s 1961 film “Divorzio all’italiana” (“Divorce — Italian Style”) wears its cynicism boldly for everyone to see. Note this is not the cheap cynicism that infects many of today’s Hollywood comedies, which seem to be made by people who think the audience is too stupid to know the difference between mockery and satire.
No, this is a much darker cynicism, one that states that a man — if he is rich, charming, aristocratic and has the proper legal defense — can get away with murder.
The man in this case is Baron Ferdinando Cefalu, played by the excellent Marcello Mastroianni. From the moment he comes on screen, he looks as if he is getting away with something. Well groomed, hidden behind dark sunglasses and a cigarette holder, he is full of personal style and intelligence. It is through his eyes that we see the film, and his often bemused narration guides us through the various intrigues of the plot.
Before long, Baron plans to drop his wife and marry his teenage cousin. Unfortunately, divorce was illegal at the time in Italy, meaning he has to come up with some other form of disposal. Knowing that he can’t get away with simply killing her, he decides to set up a situation in which his wife will commit adultery, so he can catch her in the act and then kill her in defense of his family honor. Knowing that a given court will go easy on a man enraged to find himself a cuckold, Baron figures his sentence will be no more than a few years, and he can serve his time with his reputation untarnished since the community will see him as having done the right thing.
This is all rather heartless to be sure, and it probably wouldn’t work if not for Mastroianni. His performance makes the Baron seem like a flawed human rather than a bastard, and it’s this quality that allows the audience to, in some way at least, identify with his problems. His wife Rosalia (played by the pitch-perfect Daniela Rocca) is annoying in all the ways that can drive a husband crazy. She’s needy, loud and starved for attention. None of these things are worthy of execution, but they make the film all the more effective. If Rosalia were outright despicable it would be too easy to just wish death upon her and get it over with. But by humanizing her, making her a character with more depth than necessary to further the plot, the filmmakers add a whole new level to the story.
A film like this could easily be seen as misogynistic. However, it never glorifies the actions of its characters. Instead, it portrays Baron as someone who hides his lack of morality under the guise of personal style. Mastroianni’s performance is truly masterful. His minor facial twitches and expressions are the only indicators of his true feelings — they are never shown through his words. He’s like a shark, working toward his goal with a single-minded and tenacious attitude. Having decided what he wants, he works methodically on how to get it. His only honest emotion seems to be his love of his young cousin Angela.
Above all, the film is funny. It observes people and institutions with a wry amusement, showing the folly and hypocrisy in everything — for, after all, those are the two things that seem to unite everyone. The film’s final ironies end it on a perfect note, showing it to be cynical about pretty much everyone. But even cynics can laugh.
“Divorzio all’italiana” is available on video and DVD.