Ciao, Professore!

I was quite pleased with this movie, the story is very archetypal but when done well its a good archetype and in this case the characters and treatment of the Italian setting and issues. The opening was interesting by making Louis Armstrong a counterpoint to the degradation of the city. In this context the music of Louis Armstrong becomes a sign of education, refinement, and international cultural appreciation, which seems a hefty sum to attach to any one person yet a think Satchmo does it all justice. Through out the movie much of the plot is the juxtaposition of a northerner within a southern town and how the two different modes of thought often oppose each other. Such scenes the teacher, Marco, confronting the custodian and several arguments over the proper way to run the school. As well as his confrontations with the principal, the conversation after Marco loses his temper and strikes a child is quite amusing since he is lamenting his loss of self control all the while the principal is congratulating him. It is an amusing growth movie, almost a Bad News Bears meets meets public schooling, in that as the movie progresses the two parties, teacher and students, grow on each other too the point that Marco rescinds his request for relocation and expresses a wish to stay in Corzano. However shortly before the climax of the story he receives a letter telling him to return to the north, while the climax of the film features Marco helping out Rafaele, the classes "tough guy", during which each claims that the other is changed for the experience. The interactions between him and the class produces some great scenes, due in part to the children swearing like sailors, for example Marco rounding up all the children at the start of the movie and him and the overweight kid trying to go on a diet.

This isn't the greatest movie I've ever seen but it is a good watch. It also does a decent job of highlighting north-south conflicts.