Johnny Stecchino
| Johnny Stecchino | |
|---|---|
Film cover
|
|
| Directed by | Roberto Benigni |
| Produced by |
Mario Cecchi Gori, Vittorio Cecchi Gori |
| Written by |
Roberto Benigni, Vincenzo Cerami |
| Starring |
Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi |
| Music by | Evan Lurie |
| Cinematography | Giuseppe Lanci |
| Edited by | Nino Baragli |
|
Release date
|
|
|
Running time
|
122 minutes (original Italian version) |
| Country | Italy |
| Language | Italian |
Johnny Stecchino is an Italian comedy film starring Roberto Benigni as the protagonist and director. This film is one of Benigni's many collaborations with co-star and wife, Nicoletta Braschi. During its release in 1991, it was the highest grossing film in Italy.
This film follows the life of Dante, a quirky school bus driver (Benigni) for students with Down syndrome, who bears a striking resemblance to Johnny Stecchino, an Italian mafioso who is wanted by Sicilian mobsters for treason and murder. The film's plot begins to unravel when Dante meets Maria, the wife of Stecchino, who begins her plan into tricking mobsters to kill Dante thinking he is Stecchino. The film takes several unexpected twists when Maria begins to fall for Dante, and it becomes clear that Dante cannot possibly be the cold blooded killer, Johnny Stecchino.
The U.S. version released in theaters and on VHS is about 20 minutes shorter that the full Italian version. It trims several conversations including the final scene with Lillo sniffing cocaine.
After unsuccessfully hitting on his co-worker and other women at a soiree, Dante (Roberto Benigni) meets Maria after she nearly runs him over with her car. Maria is taken aback by Dante's striking resemblance to her husband Johnny Stecchino, an Italian mobster wanted by the Sicilian Mafia for killing head mobster Cozzamara's wife and despised by the locals of Palermo for treason.
During the day, Dante works in Cesena as a bus driver for students with down syndrome, defrauds the government into receiving disability payments for a faked disability, and steals bananas from greengrocers. Dante's best friend is Lillo, a student with down syndrome and diabetes, who he has to constantly deter from eating sweets.
Dante runs into Maria again, this time near his apartment, who unbeknownst to him, has tracked him down in a plan to turn him over to the Sicilian mafia so they can kill Dante, thinking that he is Stecchino. Maria begins to make Dante's appearance more identical to Stecchino, by dressing him in a similar suit and tie, placing a faux mole on his face and convincing him to have a toothpick in his mouth at all time ('stecchino' is the Italian word for toothpick). Maria then begins to call him 'Johnny' or Johnny Stecchino. She later invites Dante to join her in her residence in Palermo where she will begin to plan his murder so she and the real Johnny Stecchino can escape to South America.
...
Wikipedia