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Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man (1981): Cast & Plot

Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man (1981) movie poster

Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man is a 1981 drama directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, starring Ugo Tognazzi as Primo Spaggiari, Ricky Tognazzi and Anouk Aimée. It runs 1 hour 56 minutes.

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Read the plot summary
Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man (1981) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 56m (116 min)
Director
Bernardo Bertolucci
Genre
Drama
Original language
Italian
Studio
Fiction Cinematografica
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man About?

The premise of Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

When the son of the owner of a large Italian cheese factory is kidnapped, the business teeters on the brink of bankruptcy. Determined to save both his child and his livelihood, the father devises a scheme to channel the ransom money directly back into the factory as a crucial reinvestment, hoping the infusion will stabilize the struggling operation.

Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man Themes & Keywords

· 34 tags
  • years of lead
  • female nudity
  • cheese
  • ransom
  • wood
  • wheat
  • voice over
  • villa
  • female topless nudity
  • terrorism
  • slaughterhouse
  • singing
+22 more
  • sex
  • religion
  • plot
  • opera
  • money lender
  • irony
  • gun
  • french accent
  • farm
  • discotheque
  • dancing
  • cow
  • communism
  • carabinieri
  • car crash
  • ambiguous ending
  • actual animal killed
  • kidnapping
  • italy
  • firm
  • father son relationship
  • cult director
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Cast & crew

Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man Cast & Characters

Ugo Tognazzi leads the cast as Primo Spaggiari, with Ricky Tognazzi as Giovanni Spaggiari, figlio di Primo and Anouk Aimée as Barbara Spaggiari. Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci; 13 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man

· 9 more
From the director

More from Bernardo Bertolucci

More films directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, best-rated first: The Conformist, The Last Emperor, 1900 and Last Tango in Paris.

Full filmography
Plot

Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man Plot Summary

What happens in Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 5-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Primo Spaggiari [Ugo Tognazzi] is a small cheese factory owner from Parma, a self-made man whose peasant roots and elementary schooling shaped his practical, stubborn resolve. His wife, Barbara Spaggiari [Anouk Aimée], brings a touch of refinement and a contrasting worldview to their life, balancing the rustic world Primo governs with a more cosmopolitan sensibility. Their son, Giovanni Spaggiari [Ricky Tognazzi], stands at the center of a family already pressed by economic strain and the pressures of a changing Italy. In this tense setup, the family’s ordinary routine is shattered when Giovanni is snatched by a group of terrorists, and Primo learns that the ransom demanded is astronomical: one billion lire.

Full summary

The whole story of Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What kind of business does Primo Spaggiari own?
Details

Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man Also Known As

9 alternative titles, including “La tragédie d'un homme ridicule” and “Die Tragödie eines lächerlichen Mannes”.

Also known as
  • La tragédie d'un homme ridicule
  • Die Tragödie eines lächerlichen Mannes
  • La historia de un hombre ridículo
  • Egy nevetséges ember tragédiája
  • A Tragédia de um Homem Ridículo
  • Трагедията на един смешен човек
  • Трагедия смешного человека
  • 바보같은 자의 비극
  • 一个可笑人物的悲剧

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Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Property Is No Longer a Theft, Strangled Lives and The Big Racket.

FAQ

Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man FAQ: Cast & Runtime

Runtime, release date, director, cast, post-credit scenes and language of Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man?

Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man runs 1 hour 56 minutes (116 minutes).

When was Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man released?

Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man was released on May 24, 1981.

Who directed Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man?

Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man was directed by Bernardo Bertolucci.

More films by Bernardo Bertolucci

Who is in the cast of Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man?

Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man stars Ugo Tognazzi as Primo Spaggiari, Ricky Tognazzi as Giovanni Spaggiari, figlio di Primo and Anouk Aimée as Barbara Spaggiari, among 13 credited actors.

Does Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man have a post-credit scene?

No. Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man has no extra scene during or after the credits.

What language is Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man in?

The original language of Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man is Italian.

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