VOICES: Friedrich W. Bauschulte (Signor Rossi), Edgar Ott (Gastone, the dog), Arnold Marquis (the boss), Inge Wolffberg (the over-confident fairy), Wolfgang Draeger, Jürgen Thormann (other voices).
Director: BRUNO BOZZETTO. Screenplay: Bruno Bozzetto, Guido Manuli, Maurizio Nichetti. Music: Franco Godi. Animators: Franco Pacifico, Flora Sperotto, Edo Cavalli, Giorgio Valentini, Massimo Vitetta, Anna Pezzotta, Gianfranco Pirovano. Backgrounds: Antonio Dall Osso. Photographed in Eastman Color by Enzo Lucchesi, Ugo Magni. Film editors: Ugo Micheli, Giancarlo Rossi. Animation technicians: Carlo Caccialanza, Fabio Andreoni. Music composed, arranged and conducted by Franco Godi. Art director: Guido Manuli. Producer: Bruno Bozzetto.
Copyright 1976 by Bruno Bozzetto Film. German release: 4 March 1976. Italian release as Signor Rossi cerca la Felicitá: 25 November 1978 (sic). German release as Herr Rossi sucht das Glück. 81 minutes (German version); 75 minutes (Italian version). Also known as Mr Rossi Looks for Happiness, Mr Rossi Searches for Happiness. British TV title: The Fantastic Adventures of Mr Rossi.
SYNOPSIS: Rossi is a plump, little, middle-aged man who lives alone in a small apartment in a big city. Rossi doesn't have much of a future. By day, he works as a packer in a fish factory, right under the beady eyes of his rich-as-Croesus boss (who lives in a luxury apartment at the top of the same block of units, but doesn't bother giving Rossi a lift to work and then lowers the boom if he reports in a few seconds late). By night, even the neighbor's dog barks at Rossi. In all, his life is miserable. But then, enters a Fata Sicura (as she is called in both the Italian and German versions). Hard to translate. The Germans gave up and didn't even try. A fata in Italian is a fairy. Sicura means safe, secure, confident, and even reliable. But of course, although she is confident enough, this fairy godmother is not so safe, secure or reliable, so the title is being used ironically. Anyway, she presents Rossi with a magic whistle that enables him to travel through time and space (presumably to find a happier place). Rossi is joined on these journeys by the dog-next-door. His first adventure takes him to prehistoric times where he falls into the lap of a huge, plump dinosaur. Next up is Ancient Rome. He also drops into Ancient Egypt, the Future, the Middle Ages, and the American Wild West; in addition, he tangles with pirates and fairy tale characters. Both the German and Italian DVDs also include two short cartoons including the technically rough and rather primitive An Oscar for Mr Rossi (1960).
NOTES: Sequels are Herr Rossi traümt or I sogni del signor Rossi (1978); Die Ferien des Herrn Rossi or Le Vacanze del signor Rossi (1981).
COMMENT: Bruno Bozzetto directed Allegro Non Troppo (1977), that wonderful send-up of Walt Disney's Fantasia. An absolute delight though that film is, this one is not only funnier but far more engaging. Rossi is a stroke of genius, the little man who battles against all odds, including a garrulous Fata who is not so secura. But despite all reverses, and everything that Fate can fly at him, he still carries on. The incidents are outrageous but exciting; the jokes clever and often subtle. All the characters are skilfully drawn and most engagingly played, particularly by the four credited principals. (Whoever plays the brilliantly designed hobby horse also deserves congratulations). Technically, the film is always a joy just to watch. The animation is perfect, the music score a delight (the songs are especially catchy and inventive), the editing swift (except of course when the dottily garrulous Fata floods the screen) and many of the backgrounds are marvels of beautiful design and masterly inspiration.
I watched the German NewKSM DVD version rather than the Italian, as it runs 6 minutes longer. I assume the superb technical quality of the German disc is duplicated in the Italian version.
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