The Rogues (film)

I picari, internationally released as The Rogues, is a 1987 Italian comedy film written and directed by Mario Monicelli. It is freely inspired by the Spanish novels Lazarillo de Tormes and Guzman de Alfarache.

The Rogues
Italian theatrical release poster by Enzo Sciotti
Directed by	Mario Monicelli
Written by	Leo Benvenuti Suso Cecchi d'Amico Piero De Bernardi Mario Monicelli
Produced by	Giovanni Di Clemente
Starring	Giancarlo Giannini Enrico Montesano Vittorio Gassman Nino Manfredi Giuliana De Sio Bernard Blier
Cinematography	Tonino Nardi
Edited by	Ruggero Mastroianni
Music by	Lucio Dalla Mauro Malavasi
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Italia (Italy) Warner Española S.A. (Spain)
Release date	1988 (1988)
Running time	120 minutes
Countries	Italy Spain
Language	Italian

The film was co-produced with Spain, where it was released as Los alegres pícaros.

Plot

I picari was the last of Monicelli's films, such as L'armata Brancaleone, to be set in the Renaissance and medieval eras. As in his previous films, a tilting of the society and surroundings of the characters makes the film a parody of the goliardic lifestyle of the 12th or 13th century.

In 17th-century Spain, vagrants Lazarillo and Guzman meet as slaves on a ship. Both had a troubled and difficult childhood because of their parents. The first was adopted by a prostitute and a blind wanderer (Nino Manfredi) who earned a living by cheating and stealing. The second was beaten and scourged. Escaping from the ship in which they were held captive, Lazarillo and Guzman stop at a strange place where they cheat a blacksmith. Later, disguised as gentleman, they are hosted by an impoverished nobleman (Vittorio Gassman). The two tramps, who hoped to make a fortune by entering the service of a nobleman, are shocked by his poor quarters and dire living conditions. Lazarillo and Guzman then become part of a theater company, scrape together some money, buy a prostitute, and encounter a gang of criminals. One of them kills a king's guard and is sentenced to death. His friend saves him by replacing him with another prisoner.

Cast

• Giancarlo Giannini: Guzman de Alfarache
• Enrico Montesano: Lazarillo de Tormes
• Vittorio Gassman: Marquis Felipe de Aragona
• Nino Manfredi: the blind wanderer
• Giuliana De Sio: Rosario
• Bernard Blier: the pimp
• Paolo Hendel: the tutor
• Vittorio Caprioli: Mozzafiato
• Enzo Robutti: the Captain of the ship
• Blanca Marsillach: Ponzia
• Maria Casanova: Pregnant Woman
• Claudio Bisio: the leader of the mutinied rowers
• Sal Borgese: the boatswain
• Sabrina Ferilli the young prostitute

See also

• El Lazarillo de Tormes (1959)

External links

• The Rogues at IMDb