Il papocchio (1980)

Director: Renzo Arbore

Cast: Renzo Arbore, Diego Abatantuono, Roberto Benigni, Vittorio Aiello, Silvia Annichiarico, Luciano De Crescenzo, Manfred Freyberger, Andy Luotto, Mario Marenco, Mariangela Melato, Ruggero Orlando, Martin Scorsere, Fabrizio Zampa, Isabella Rossellini

Description: Giovanni Paolo II (Manfred Freyberger, un sosia), dinamico e patito della modernità, è affascinato da un famoso spot pubblicitario cui Renzo Arbore è testimonial, e vorrebbe ingaggiarlo come conduttore della televisione dello stato Vaticano che vuole far nascere. Il popolare conduttore, con la compagnia de L'altra domenica, si reca in Vaticano per mettersi all'opera, ma il Cardinale Richelieu (Graziano Giusti), bigotto e tradizionalista, non vuole saperne di televisione, e così tenta di boicottarla prima avvertendo i parroci d'Italia di mandare gli artisti più scadenti (tra cui un fanatico della morte e un coro napoletano che canta con la bocca chiusa, aprendola solo per potenziare la canzone con ulteriori pernacchie) e poi corrompendo con trenta gettoni del telefono (citazione dei famosi trenta denari di Giuda) un incompreso Benigni. Nonostante tutto le trasmissioni hanno inizio …

imbd review:

This is one of the funniest films I've ever seen. It may appear kind of trashy and somewhat chaotic at times (which is actually part of its magic), but it's definitely great entertainment, both for your brains and your gall bladder. It's whole nonsense, chock full of vignette-gags, full-fledged gags, fantastic exchanges between characters, historical, religious and political puns very well dispensed, without any mercy but also without any unnecessary viciousness. These people definitely don't take themselves (or anything else, for that matter) seriously. Hence the effectiveness of their work. It can be said that every performer was wonderful, because this is the kind of movie you fall in love with. However, Benigni deserves a especial mention (his monologue about the Judgment Day - Giudizio Universale - is totally genius comedy). It helps a lot to know some Italian (it helps even more to be of Italian descent and catholic). In whatever way, see it.

Shortly after the film's release, it was sequestered for supposed blasphemy. After a legal fight, it was re-released with some cuts, but was extremely hard to find (no video release, no TV showings). In 1998 it was finally re-released in theaters and later on video in its uncut version