Dov'è la libertà...? (1954)

English title: Where Is Freedom?

*spoilers ahead*

A barber (Salvatore) is facing trial for having sneaked back into prison. He spent 22 years in prison for killing a man who, according to Salvatore's wife, had attempted to rape her. He was released on parole, but did not adjust well to life out of prison. First, he associated with a group of ballroom dancers, but they were swindled by their impresario and he must find another place to stay. He took a room in a boarding house, but was expelled when his room was needed for a richer customer. He then by chance encountered his former in-laws (his wife had died while he was in prison) who invited him to stay with them, and even encouraged him to take Agnese, a young friend of the family, out on dates. It turned out, however, that said young woman was pregnant by a member of the family and they wanted to find someone to marry her so as to evade legal responsibilities. Furthermore, Salvatore learned that his wife had not suffered a rape attempt, and that the man he had killed had been her lover. More sinisterly, during the war his in-laws had denounced a Jewish family to the Nazis and stole their money. They almost tricked Salvatore into killing the only surviving member of that Jewish family (Abramo), but when Abramo told him what really happened he backed down on his intentions. Then he concocted a plan to get back into prison. While the prison manager was sitting with friends in a café, Salvatore stole his overcoat and hat, and managed to impersonate him before the prison guards, who let him in. At the trial, the judge imposes a fine on him but no prison sentence. On the way out, he assaults his own lawyer, succeeding thus to be sent back to prison.

This is a rather unremarkable little comedy with a very good leading actor, who is alternately funny and pathetic as the situation requires. The humor is for the most part obvious, and, while the premise may be somewhat unconventional, its development is not. It's not an unpleasant film, though.

Rating: 41