The poor Roman family in this film is purely a scumbag who commits fraud, adultery, murder, fornication, and everything. The patriarch lost his left eye, received one million lire in compensation from the government, his relatives wanted to poison him, and he himself spent his time drinking and even bringing home prostitutes. He drank heavily, boasted and threatened relatives with a pistol. Those relatives were like a chorus in an opera, working in unison against him. His dozen or so children seem to be trapped in this slum with no hope of future.
If Neorealism films sanctify the underworld, then this film rips off that sanctification. The film is hilarious and frustrating at the same time, as if poverty is a sin. Scola won the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival for this film.
