Let's Have a Riot

Let's Have a Riot (original Italian title: Contestazione generale) is a 1970 Italian comedy directed by Luigi Zampa. Structured as an anthology of sketches, the film satirizes the social and political tensions of late-1960s Italy, drawing on the era's climate of protest and unrest. Vittorio Gassman leads a large ensemble that also includes Alberto Sordi, Nino Manfredi, Enrico Maria Salerno, Michel Simon, Marina Vlady and Sergio Tofano, with the actors appearing across the film's separate episodes. The screenplay was written by Leonardo Benvenuti, Rodolfo Sonego and Zampa himself. Running roughly 131 minutes, the picture belongs to the tradition of the commedia all'italiana, using humor and caricature to comment on contemporary Italian society. Each segment revolves around different characters and situations, allowing the film to portray a broad cross-section of the country's public life during a period marked by widespread contestation and demands for change.