A fascist colonel screams communist slogans in his sleep. The military's solution? Sleep standing up.
A colonel in the Army has a problem: when resting lying starts screaming anarchist and antimilitarist phrases. Because of his fitful sleep is therefore forced to sleep standing up.
Acting
Ugo Tognazzi's physical comic precision is masterful.
Writing
Sharp satire of military pomposity still lands today.
Director
Francesco Massaro
Ugo Tognazzi
Col. Umberto Leone
Mariangela Melato
Lola Pigna
Franco Fabrizi
Col. Beltrami
Mario Scaccia
Gen. Arturo Pigna
Sandro Merli
Tenente Cicuta
Stefano Satta Flores
Ten. Sogliano
Checco Rissone
Gen. Ciccolo
Flavio Bucci
Bucci
Enzo Robutti
Ten. Psichiatra Mancini
Piero Nuti
Attendente del Col. Leone
Daniele Vargas
Ten. Col. Poli
Georges Wilson
Gen. Botta
Edda Ferronao
Edda Ferronao
Gianni Solaro
Ufficiale in Africa
Eros Pagni
Ufficiale italiano in Grecia
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Made during Italy's Years of Lead, the film satirizes lingering authoritarian structures in supposedly democratic institutions. Tognazzi was a communist in real life, adding delicious irony to his fascist colonel.
The screenplay was co-written by the great Tonino Guerra, Fellini's frequent collaborator, which explains the dreamlike bureaucratic nightmare quality.
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