Benedetto is a child who came out of an accident uninjured on his first communion's day. The people of his village attribute that to a miracle and made him undergo a strict religious upbringing. That fact will determine his life, which will be affected by inner torment caused by the confrontation between sexual desires and sacrifices of faith, sin and grace.
Acting
Manfredi's face contains multitudes of repressed longing.
Writing
Satire so sharp it cuts through seven decades of Catholicism.
Direction
Manfredi directs himself with merciless clarity.
Director
Nino Manfredi
Nino Manfredi
Benedetto
Lionel Stander
Oreste
Delia Boccardo
Giovanna
Paola Borboni
Immacolata
Mariangela Melato
Maestra
Mario Scaccia
Priore
Fausto Tozzi
Primario
Tano Cimarosa
Zi' Checco
Gastone Pescucci
Avvocato
Alfredo Bianchini
Cappellano della clinica
Véronique Vendell
Ragazza 'chiacchierata'
Gianni Rizzo
Sacerdote
Pino Patti
Don Quirino
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released during Italy's anni di piombo, the film's religious satire was quietly radical—Catholicism wasn't just mocked, it was diagnosed as a national pathology.
Manfredi's directorial debut nearly didn't happen; producers feared the Church's reaction, and he had to self-finance. The bus crash opening was filmed in one continuous chaotic take.
IT
