Il Cappotto is a surprisingly faithful rendering of the Gogol short story. The Overcoat is happily relocated from bureaucratic nineteenth century Russia to corrupt post war Italy. There are many wonderful and original scenes; a succession of lodgers trying to listen to the heartbeat of a dying man through a stethoscope; a hearse interrupting the mayor's self-congratulatory speechifying at a public meeting; a tailor ducking down alleys to get a further look at his beautiful coat being worn by its new owner. The film is also funny, but the comedy is sometimes jarring. There is what can only be called a Chaplin-esque central performance though without Chaplin's mischief, some rather broad satire of Italian political life, and a more bleak, savage humour that is perhaps more faithful to Gogol. Some of this is marvellous, some of it rather dated. As the film progresses it picks up momentum but unfortunately the clunkiness of some of the first half hour hangs over the rest of the film leaving a feeling that it could all have been a little tighter and maybe a little tougher. The end in particular exchanges Gogol's horror for spiritual uplift and is a disappointment.
In the end, Il Cappotto feels like a film that doesn't quite hold together its disparate elements, but has some unforgettable scenes worthy of de Sica or Fellini. Enjoyable but frustrating.
In the end, Il Cappotto feels like a film that doesn't quite hold together its disparate elements, but has some unforgettable scenes worthy of de Sica or Fellini. Enjoyable but frustrating.