Adriano Celentano
Joan Lui - Ma un giorno nel paese arrivo io di lunedì

These days, everyone is talking about Celentano, we all know that. His "Adrian" is causing quite a stir everywhere. Misunderstood genius or creator of colossal nonsense? Everyone is free to express their opinion, but the fact remains that when Celentano or something related to him "appears," everyone (more or less) is somehow involved.

The "Adrian case" led me to watch one of his old films again, "Joan Lui - Ma un giorno nel paese arrivo io di lunedì."

Like "Adrian," "Joan Lui" was a complete flop but at the same time a true "phenomenon."

Celentano (Joan Lui) is none other than Jesus, returned to a completely "ruined" world, covered (as he says) in "a layer of crap," crap that we put there.

He begins to preach on the streets during various riots, becomes famous, becomes a public figure, has a TV show all for himself followed by almost everyone, performs miracles, is killed, and resurrects just before the apocalypse.

Celentano's grand ambitions are evident; the "Joan Lui" project was destined to become a true Italian blockbuster. I say "was destined" because during the making of the film, everything went wrong. The film suffered cuts (slashes more than cuts) without Celentano's knowledge, and when the work was presented to the public, it was a shock. Completely incomprehensible, wrong editing, music inserted in wrong contexts, in short, a real disaster. Celentano tried to withdraw the film from theaters, accusing the producers of the total failure of the work and ruining (with scissors) the final cut.

The film cost an exorbitant amount, at the time it was said to be in the billions, and in Italy, it made very little money. In other countries (especially in Russia) the film was a resounding success.

Now, I understand that critics panned the film as "a disastrous flop" and highlighted Celentano's total incapacity as a director. But it is also true that if a work is manipulated, cut without logic, and "glued back with super-glue," it cannot be a good product.

The basic idea, in my opinion, was brilliant, indeed... too "advanced" for an Italy that was still too "moralistic" and "puritan." The film does not lack particularly strong scenes, scenes that the audience used to seeing Celentano in "Innamorato pazzo," "Il bisbetico domato," and "Bingo Bongo" certainly did not expect. I myself was slightly shocked to see the most powerful man in the world (the devil) defecate on his hands and throw it in Celentano's face, or during the apocalypse where people lose arms and legs due to everything falling on them. Also, the scene of the "discovery" of human fetuses "wrapped" like a sweet Christmas gift. So it is clear that with "Joan Lui" we are faced with a different Celentano, who has no desire to make the audience smile; rather, he tends to shock and scandalize them.

"Adrian" is, in some ways, a "variation on the theme" of "Joan Lui"... with a thousand flaws, many trash ideas... but also seasoned with a certain courage and, let's admit it, a certain "artistic madness."

Over two hours of pure delirium, a "wrong" "failed" work... whatever you want... yet there are people like me who, even recognizing all these huge flaws (not all attributable to the director), love it immensely. Love it for its madness, for its "total anarchy," love it for all its excesses, love it because it has the courage to show things that very few have had the courage to show. So what grade to give it? I assure you that upon reflection... giving a grade to this film is perhaps impossible... even that famous Cinemaniac said so in the past.

In my opinion, if this film had been directed by a "more experienced" director capable of managing such huge budgets... with Celentano's ideas... we would have in our hands a film more unique than rare!

In any case, I respect Celentano for this extreme "show of courage." "Joan Lui" is a film that I have to rewatch from time to time... I feel compelled to rewatch it... and I don't even know why, and over the years I've realized I'm not the only one. I know, someone might now say, "you have to rewatch it because you're an idiot"... maybe that's true too!

I conclude with a small "review" of "Joan Lui" written by a professional critic: "The last madness of the national Molleggiato, considered by almost everyone to be awful, Celentano's film, pretentious and absolutely devoid of narrative balance, is nonetheless an act of courage in hypocritical times. Let's not crucify it without discussion. Joan Lui 'in its own way' is (perhaps) a masterpiece."

VinnySparrow