The Teacher from Vigevano

Antonio Mombelli (Alberto Sordi, Il Vedovo) is content with his life as a primary school teacher in the small town of Vigevano. But his wife Ada (Claire Bloom, Limelight) is ashamed of their humble circumstances and dreams of something better for their family. She insists he quits his job, gives up on his pension, and opens a small shoe factory. Teetering between humour and tragedy, this early film by Elio Petri (A Quiet Place in the Country, The Working Class Goes to Heaven) is commedia all'italiana at its most bittersweet. Sordi's bumbling husband careens from catastrophe to catastrophe as he navigates changing definitions for happiness in 1960s Italy.

Special Features

Booklet, Documentaries: Archival documentary featuring critics Jean Gili and Philippe Rouyer and Elio Petri's widow Paola Petri, Visual essay by critic and film-maker Kat Ellinger (2026); Reversible sleeve

Audio Languages: Italian

Duration: 105 minutes

Number of Discs: 1

Subtitle Languages: English

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