Incompreso (1966)

Today's film special is about the Italian drama Incompreso/Misunderstood (Luigi Comencini, 1966), a film from my youth. I saw it a the local youth film club: on six Wednesday afternoons, we, school kids, went without our parents to a real cinema. Normally we saw an animation film or a Jerry Lewis comedy, but that one afternoon we saw a heart-breaking drama. At the end of the film, the whole under aged audience was in tears. Incompreso - a sweet memory.


Italian postcard. Photo: publicity still for Incompreso/Misunderstood (Luigi Comencini, 1966) with Stefano Colagrande. Caption: "Questo è il solo film che andro a vedere. James Bond" (This is the only movie I'll go to see. James Bond).


Italian postcard. Photo: publicity still for Incompreso/Misunderstood (Luigi Comencini, 1966) with John Sharp. Caption: "Questo è il solo film che andro a vedere. James Bond" (This is the only movie I'll go to see. James Bond).

At the end when tragedy strikes

In the Italian Coming-of-Age drama Incompreso/Misunderstood (Luigi Comencini, 1966), Anthony Quayle plays John Duncombe, the UK Consul General in Florence, Italy.

Duncombe becomes a widower when his two sons, Andrew and Miles, are still young kids. Andrew (Stefano Colagrande), the eldest, reacts with adult maturity to the loss of his mother, looking after little Miles (Simone Giannozzi).

Andrew's brave front convinces his father that he is unaffected by his mother's death. Playmate and protector of his little brother, the boy takes all the blame when their mischief goes wrong.

Their father is often absent, both physically and emotionally, especially towards Andrew. At the end when tragedy strikes, Duncombe finally recognize his son's true qualities.

Incompreso was an adaptation of the book Misunderstood (1869) written by the English novelist Florence Montgomery.

The film earned director Luigi Comencini his first David di Donatello award and a nomination for the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival.


Italian postcard. Photo: publicity still for Incompreso/Misunderstood (Luigi Comencini, 1966) with Stefano Colagrande and Simone Giannozzi in forground and with Anthony Quayle. Caption: "Questo è il solo film che andro a vedere. James Bond" (This is the only movie I'll go to see. James Bond).


Italian postcard. Photo: publicity still for Incompreso/Misunderstood (Luigi Comencini, 1966) with Stefano Colagrande at right and Simone Giannozzi in the middle. Caption: "Questo è il solo film che andro a vedere. James Bond" (This is the only movie I'll go to see. James Bond).


Italian postcard. Photo: publicity still for Incompreso/Misunderstood (Luigi Comencini, 1966) with Stefano Colagrande and Simone Giannozzi in forground and with Anthony Quayle. Caption: "Questo è il solo film che andro a vedere. James Bond" (This is the only movie I'll go to see. James Bond).

Sources: Gino Moliterno (Historical Dictionary of Italian Cinema), TheSpyKid.com, Wikipedia and IMDb.