One of the few films directed by Gassman, the leading Italian actor of his generation, with a plot that defies synopsis. Events include Gassman's seedy circus magician's dog being hit by lightning, with the mute orphan showing up at the funeral, the song in the archive, Maoists led by a priest staging a housing demo and the impoverished hospital with two patients in the beds or the giant, coloured polystyrene bottle dump.With it's grotesque characters and bizarre plot, this one is Fellini without the tedium.From the Pino Zac animated titles on, it has the best Italian A feature production values.