The King of Laughter
Qui Rido lo | The King of Laughter
Italian Film Festival 2023
- Fri 2 Jun 2023
- 7—9:15PM
- Len Lye Cinema
- Rating: M
- Face coverings optional
- General $17
- Concession $12 for seniors, students, gallery friends and community service card holders (with valid ID)
- Booking recommended
- As there is no allocated seating doors open 15 minutes before screenings, please come early to avoid disappointment
- To minimise disruption no admittance to cinema 10 minutes after session starts
- Hearing loop provided for the hearing impaired
- Wheelchair spaces available. Free entry for a companion to assist an audience member who has a disability. Companion seat is automatically allocated when a wheelchair space is booked.
Naples, 1904: Eduardo Scarpetta risked everything by staging a parody of the great Italian poet, Gabriele D'Annunzio. Despite legal troubles and familial strife, Scarpetta fought for his legacy as one of the greats of Italian theater.
The King of Laughter is a lavish period comedy-drama with a vitality that sparks in every second. The masterful Toni Servillo plays Eduardo Scarpetta (with obvious delight), one of the most successful Playwrights of his time. Servillo allows all the nuance and contradictions of his enormous character to skilfully emerge.
Although it is a biopic, it is also an ensemble film where Scarpetta’s enormous extended family, children (legitimate and illegitimate) and mistresses are integral and portrayed with compassion and colour. Scarpetta became famous for his parodies and satire and was charged with Italy’s first-ever copyright infringement. A delicate mix of light and darkness ensures we are always entertained and intrigued. It is a genuine Neapolitan feast with equal amounts of beauty, comedy and tragedy.
The stunning costumes, lavish feasts and large set pieces are reminiscent of the grand
period pieces of past cinema.
- Paolo Rotondo
“It's a dazzling and technically brilliant feat, the work of an ambitious, experienced and passionate director.” - Love Gyarkye. The Hollywood Reporter
IT/SP | 2021 | Historical Biographical Comedy-Drama | 133 min | Dir. Mario Matone | In Italian and Neapolitan with English subtitles
The King of Laughter