Ernst Lubitsch
Vogliamo vivere

When I interact for work or for other reasons with a person of a certain age, I tend to change my behavior: a switch flips and my speech, movements, and vocabulary become smoother and more accommodating than usual. Not that I want to treat them like children, that would be an insult, but simply, automatically, I approach them with more courtesy and respect. I don't think it's just manners, but unlike a teenager who, dazed by hormones, doesn't get up from his seat on the bus and doesn't even look at the person as if they were invisible or already six feet under; unlike this gel-covered mop of pimples, instinct and greater maturity push me to behave completely differently. Perhaps illogically, I expect some return when I am the one who will walk with difficulty using a hyper-technical, lightweight, and strong support that will have replaced today's cane.
After allowing a reasonable number of days to pass since viewing Lubitsch's masterpiece, I believe the most difficult action is to resist the natural temptation to yield to gratuitous absolutes and soften the judgment to a doormat level, just because it's a 72-year-old cinematic work.

"To be or not to be", "Vogliamo vivere" the Italian translation, is a comedy of historical value, comparable without blasphemy to "The Great Dictator" by Chaplin, and deserves enormous admiration for how revolutionary it was. The end of 1941, November and December, the period in which the film was shot, was the crucial moment to determine the outcome of the Second World War; if the Red Army had not withstood the blow, the Wehrmacht could have broken through to the East (Russia), effectively taking over the whole of Europe. It was also the attack on Pearl Harbor (December '41) that forced the United States to break the balance by entering a conflict they did not want to partake in. Filming such a comedy, practically on the brink of the abyss, I find even more complex than in '39-'40.

With "Vogliamo vivere," Lubitsch managed to write a particularly inspired screenplay for its genuinely amusing progression highlighting the ridiculous, delicate in addressing the drama of that period, thanks also to an excellent soundtrack, while decisively slapping the American viewer. It seems clear to me, in fact, among the laughs, a strong interventionist message which, before Pearl Harbor, was not very popular in the USA.

The Nazis, more than human beings, are depicted as mere puppets; incapable of criticism and ready to obey even the most absurd orders (see the final scene of the movie) just to hop on the bandwagon of the current winner. The director finds a way to repeatedly use the splendid monologue of the Jewish merchant Shylock (see "The Merchant of Venice"); in this way, a sad and embittered supporting actor finds his long-longed-for moment of glory. Almost a reward for not losing hope and having the courage to continue living, without thinking of personal gain, cultivating one's passions even in dramatic times. 

It's been a long time since I laughed so heartily at the cinema without even a swear word. It saddened me greatly to realize that at thirty years old, I was the youngest among the audience: my friends, in fact, had no interest and preferred the Smith family to the Lombard/Benny duo. I find it a real shame because I am sure that many people, even younger than me, would have greatly enjoyed a story of escalating misunderstandings, seemingly banal, capable of maintaining its impact for an hour and a half until the sparkling finale. A very theatrical cast, with the peaks of performances by Carole Lombard and Jack Benny, highlights inspired dialogues, tragicomic situations able to weave in a plot of misunderstandings the absurdities of the totalitarian regime with the common problems of everyday life (adultery/egocentrism/envy).

I add that it's an excellent opportunity to convince oneself that the original language, combined with subtitles, is the best way to enjoy cinema. If you quickly follow my advice, you can enjoy a masterful and entertaining work and boost the very modest earnings (€60,000.00 in Italy) that the release in theaters of the restored version of Lubitsch's masterpiece has garnered so far.