Customer Reviews

Bread and Chocolate [VHS]

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This film is as significant as it is delightful because it is even more relevant today than in the 1970s. Today, most of Europe is populated by immigrant workers from all parts of the continent and Africa. And there is still the same kind of pecking order (those of you who've seen the film forgive that pun!): The Swiss look down on Italians, North Italians look down on Southern Italians, they in turn look down on Turks etc. The film bravely laughs at all our cultural flaws and salutes them.

And Nino Manfredi... what a gem! Part Charlie Chaplin and part Marcello Mastroianni, he's a wonderful blend of pathos and sweetness with just the right drop of vulgarity.
BUT...! Be forewarned, the DVD is the worst I've ever seen! The print they transferred is FULL of scratches, pops, and splices that chop off whole sentences. The light scenes are often washed out and the dark scenes are far too dark. And there are a number of occasions where the subtitles were lost in the white background. I can't imagine that they couldn't find a decent print of this film anywhere. Still, if you can't find a rental copy anywhere, it's still better to have even this awful version than no version at all.

While the movie is delightful, this DVD should have been condemned. The titles are unreadable 30 to 40% of the time. What slappdash work on a good movie. The producers should be ashamed.

Although all performances are beautifully done, Nino Manfredi demonstrates an awesome level of acting skill that draws the audience into the midst of his trials and laughable tribulations.

The best comment I ever read by a reviewer of this film (many years ago)was: "You'll laugh 'til your heart breaks."

And so it goes. Don't miss it!!!

This is one of my favorite films because it is multi-layered and rich. It makes me laugh, it fills me with sadness and it makes me think. An exquisite comedy, full of historical, social and philosophical implications, it is characterized by creative directing, wonderful acting, engaging cinematography and a great script. Buy it!

This was my favorite movie when I was studying film in college. It is certainly a comedy, but one that has remained with me almost 25 years now. I recall the "chicken-coop" scene every few months, and begin going thru the emotion and questioning that I experienced when watching so long ago. Although the film moneymen had wanted a simple slapstick comedy, the director fooled them and created a movie of depth behind the laughs. This created bad feelings and I believe there were lawsuits and the film was shelved for a time, despite winning awards. The movie is very funny but it's like a tootsie-pop...the candy is great but the chewy middle makes it special.

A wonderfull portrait of workers emigrating from Spain & Italy to richer,job open countries in Northern Europe. The idiocincracies they had to face along with the type of work available to them. Behavior,culture-shock,clash etc. Nino Manfredi is supperb as an Italian worker in Switzerland. Remember when your mother would say at the dinner table eat it children are starving in Europe? well that's the point and workers had to go to other lands to find jobs and work and send the money home to their families.Funny but very poingnant, a good history reference for European Culture of the 50's and early 60's. Excelent movie. I highly recommended.

About an Italian immigrant worker in Switzerland. Through almost no fault of his own, things keep going from bad to worse, but he perserves through it all. Enjoyable for 12 years and up, wont hurt younger viewers.

The humour and lonliness of the mid life journey is so wonderfully portrayed here. "At least when you lose, you get to have a rest."
An unexpected surprise to find this one. Don't worry about about missing a few of the subtitles, this movie is too good to miss.

The quality of the DVD was grainy and he sound quality poor. This was worse than one would expect from an original master. The film tself represented the contrast between the well off swiss (chocolate) and the italian and turkish working class (bread) just working to survive. It is classified as a comedy. I would call it a tragedy. The Haydn quartet - opus 3 number 5 - the serenade, provides a wonderfully appropriate theme musical background.

This is a great little movie that has a lot of heart. I agree with the reviewer who was deeply moved by the chicken coup scene. I have not seen this movie for more than 25 years but that scene stuck with me too. The concept of alien workers forced to leave their homeland to earn a living wage is unfortunately very much a reality today. It is my hope that watching this movie would help soften the hearts of people who are worried that good jobs are being lost to foreign workers.