On the Tiger's Back

Giacinto Rossi, a poor driver drowning in debt, finds himself in prison. His cellmates are quite a collection: a ruthless killer, an elderly thief, and an intellectual who killed a man over a question of honour. The three decide to break out and take Giacinto along with them whether he likes it or not. Luigi Comencini's film turns the escape story into bitter comedy of the Italian kind. The outside is no easier than the prison; the four men can please nobody, find no money and find nowhere to hide. Nino Manfredi draws a man who is funny and pitiful at once. It is one of Gian Maria Volonté's early parts. There is a flavour particular to the Italian comedy of that period, where the laugh settles in the stomach.