The Italian Straw Hat Reviews

A wonderful little farce, Un Chapeau de Paille d'Italie is somewhat unknown to modern moviegoers, largely because silent films are so out of favor. This is a shame, as Chapeau is a delightful and charming little affair; while those not used to silent films will have to concentrate a bit harder to pick up the details of its involved plot, it's well worth the effort. Director/adaptor René Clair has done a marvelous job of capturing those details and of heaping one plot development on top of another in classic farce fashion, until the entire proceedings come tumbling down and all gets resolved. Yet Clair makes sure that the plot mechanics don't result in a mechanical film. He imbues scenes with lovely little moments, lingering a bit longer after the main actors have left a scene or capturing a delicate arch of an eyebrow that other directors might have missed. He also adds a welcome surreal touch during the sequence in which the hero is fearing that the worst has happened to his beautiful home, but is equally at home with the mundane. (As an example of the latter, the sequence in which a wife is trying to get her husband to pay attention to an undone collar is beautifully realized and quite funny.) Clair's cast is near-perfect, anchored by the sterling "little man" comic performance of Albert Prejean. An Italian Straw Hat is both sweet and amusing, a lovely combination.