Gianni, Nicola and Antonio become close friends in 1944 while fighting the Nazis. After the end of the war, full of illusions, they settle down. The movie is a the story of the life of these three idealists and how they deal with the inevitable disillusionments of life.
Director: Ettore Scola. AKA We All Loved Each Other So Much
Writers: Agenore Incrocci (as Age) & Furio Scarpelli (as Scarpelli) & Ettore Scola (as Scola)
Stars: Nino Manfredi, Vittorio Gassman, Stefania Sandrelli, Stefano Satta Flores, Giovanna Ralli, Aldo Fabrizi, Elena Fabrizi, Marcella Michelangeli, Ugo Gregoretti, Mike Bongiorno, Federico Fellini, Marcello Mastroianni, Nello Meniconi, Guidarino Guidi, Vittorio De Sica, Alfonso Crudele, Isa Barzizza.
A deliciously sprawling updating of the same themes Fellini explored in ‘I Vitelloni’ (1953), being the eternal struggle of the individual (here spread across a group of diverse personalities to present different aspects of the everyman) to resolve the dilemma we all have to negotiate and resolve, as our innocent idealism of our youth repeatedly rubs up against the reality of lived experience as we mature.
It has the same multicast energy and mix of joy and pathos as ‘La Famiglia’ (1987) – also directed by Ettore Scola and also starring Vittorio Gassman and Stefania Sandrelli as leads, but for all the accolades and awards ‘La Famiglia’ won, in my opinion ‘La Famiglia’ suffered from a very scattershot later half that became overwhelmed by its ever-increasing cast size, while ‘C’Erevamo’ sustains its energy and focus throughout..
Two variations on the same theme, both supremely enjoyable and moving.
Many thanks to Jon for the upload.