“I Corti” di Aldo, Giovanni e Giacomo
“The Shorts” by Aldo, Giovanni and Giacomo - Symbolism & Philosophy
Symbols & Motifs
Tafazzi
Tafazzi, a character who famously and repeatedly hits his own groin with a plastic bottle, symbolizes self-inflicted, pointless suffering and masochistic futility. He represents the concept of the 'Zero Comico Assoluto' (The Absolute Comedic Zero), the most basic and primal form of comedy rooted in pain and repetition. He is a metaphor for anyone who engages in self-destructive behavior without any clear purpose.
Tafazzi appears as a recurring character in the trio's television work and is presented as the finale in 'I Corti'. His brief, intense, and bizarre performance serves as a punctuation mark for the show, embodying a raw, almost philosophical form of slapstick.
The Mountain
In the famous 'La gita in montagna' (The mountain trip) sketch, the mountain and its echo symbolize the absurdity of competition and the fragility of the male ego. What starts as a simple joy of hearing one's voice echo becomes a desperate contest to 'win' the echo, leading to chaos. It represents how a beautiful, natural phenomenon can be co-opted and destroyed by human pettiness.
The sketch is a centerpiece of the show. The three friends are on a mountain hike and begin shouting into the valley to hear their echo. Giovanni and Giacomo get perfect echoes, but when Aldo tries, a passing train always drowns him out, leading to his immense frustration and increasingly ridiculous attempts to succeed.
Philosophical Questions
Where is the line between order and chaos in daily life?
The show constantly explores this question by taking mundane, orderly situations and injecting a single element of chaos, usually through Aldo's character. Giovanni represents the futile human attempt to impose order on an inherently chaotic world. His meticulously planned activities are always undone by unpredictable human behavior. The sketches suggest that chaos is the natural state, and our attempts to structure it are the primary source of both frustration and comedy.
What is the 'true' meaning of art and performance?
The 'Spectators in the Stalls' sketches directly tackle this question. Giovanni offers convoluted, pseudo-intellectual interpretations of the ongoing performance, while Aldo provides visceral, simple-minded reactions. The film doesn't offer a definitive answer but presents a humorous conflict between intellectual analysis and pure, unadulterated experience. It questions whether art should be deeply analyzed or simply felt, leaving the audience to ponder their own role as consumers of entertainment.
Core Meaning
The core message of "I Corti" is a celebration of the absurdity inherent in everyday life and human interaction. Director Arturo Brachetti and the trio aimed to elevate the art of the sketch, moving beyond simple gags to create self-contained comedic worlds. The show suggests that beneath the veneer of normality lies a wellspring of surrealism, which can be triggered by the slightest deviation from routine. It explores how simple miscommunications, personality clashes, and the anxieties of modern life can spiral into hilarious chaos. By blending slapstick, witty dialogue, and meta-commentary, the film conveys that laughter is the best response to the baffling and often illogical nature of human behavior. It's a statement on the power of physical and observational comedy to dissect and find joy in the universal quirks of being human.