The Law Is the Law

This is one of Italian comic Toto''s more notable outings since it pairs him with French star Fernandel and is directed by a well-known film-maker. Still, it's not much better than his typical vehicle - but the plot is interesting, though it eventually becomes repetitive: the two men live in a small town through which passes the borderline that separates Italy from France; Fernandel is a customs officer, while Toto' is a smuggler (who happens to be married to the former's first wife!). The narrative begins with Fernandel catching Toto' on the Italian side of the town but he still takes him over to the French side to be arrested; however, it transpires that Fernandel was born in the town kitchen (which is on the Italian side) of an Italian mother and unknown father¡Kwhich legally makes him an Italian and, consequently, his life is turned upside down - he's forced to become an Italian citizen (thus making his presence on the French side undesirable), his second marriage is declared null and is therefore a bigamist, he's branded a deserter by the Italians because he fought on the French side (and was decorated for it!), etc. The complications, all based on what is decreed by law (hence the title), are many and amusing...but, personally, I found Toto''s broad gestures and general mischief more gratifying than Fernandel's understated performance and his rather sentimental antics (though that may be because I've watched far more of the former's films, in fact some 50 titles over the course of the last 2 years!).

The "imagine there's no countries/it's not hard to do" "frontiers are absurd" concept was much better applied on Christian-Jaque's "Si Tous Les Gars Du Monde " (1956).This Italian-French production is rather ponderous.Both Fernandel (who had seen better days with Christian-Jaque in the thirties with "Ernest le Rebelle" "Un De La Legion" or "François Premier" )and his Italian counterpart Toto overact as if the director had left them to their own devices.

The screenplay was delirious though:whatever he says or does,Fernandel finds himself back against the law,a law which is his reason to live.In turn,an alien in his homeland,a deserter ,a bigamist,you name it.It would have taken an Italian director such as Dino Risi or Luigi Comencini to treat this story successfully.

Probably made to capitalize on the success of Duvivier's "Don Camillo" series.

Fernandel gives a memorably hilarious performance as a policemen in a French/Italian border town. The border line happens to go right through the middle of the house, where the protagonist was born. The complications arise, when he suddenly finds out that he was actually born on the Italian side and, therefore, is legally Italian. If you like French comedies and Fernandel, this one is a must.