How can a guy like Catarella ever pass Police Academy? I suppose he is supposed to be funny, but he is only embarrassing.
shareFirst, I love Catarella. The show wouldn't be the same without him.
In addition, somewhere, whether in the films or the books, we hear that Catarella is related to someone in a position of power, and that's how he got his job. Given that that sort of thing happens here, I have no trouble believing that it happens in Sicily.
And of course, in traditional dramas, the device of a 'fool' character is often used to bring a little light relief to proceedings.
Catarella has many good attributes. The part he plays in the social life of the town, his participation in the local drama society and so on.
Yes and he is probably a fine actor. It takes talent to play the fool, I love him.
shareI think he grows on you. They make him take a computer course, and he's quite good at it and builds on his existing skills??? Who knew. Montalbano can actually be quite kind to him sometimes and very impatient at others; the kind part is a relief from all the yelling in American programs.
shareCatarella grew on me too.
I really disliked his character at first; it seemed like he mistakenly wandered off the set of the Italian equivalent of the "Police Academy" movies.
I didn't get it. But as I watched more episodes, Catarella had his moments and I found him less irritatingly stupid.
Mhz Networks deserves credit for presenting segments of the "Making of Montalbano", or whatever that behind-the-scenes documentary is called.
Once I saw some of the interviews with the creators of the series, I realized that Italians have been writing drama for centuries, and the "Montalbano" team draws from this rich cultural tradition. They know what they're doing; they're writing from a tragicomic perspective. They're not following the standard Western/American "rule" of writing either a serious police "drama" or a flat-out police "comedy". (Of course, even American-made "action" movies and violent police procedurals throw in some humor to break the monotony.)
I admit that at times a little goes a long way, and that his repetitive gags like always banging into the door of Montalbano's office gets old after a while. But for me, once I became more "educated" in the (Italian/Sicilian) sensibilities of "Montalbano's" creators, I realized that Catarella is not a fluke or product of bad writing, and came to like and appreciate the role.
I too have viewed the character of Agente Catarella with increasing affection as time has gone by. His development — especially in his apparent affinity for computers — has been rather well done.
This is in contrast to the books where Catarella seems to miss-speak more and more absurdly as time goes on. However I suspect that this is something that might b laid at the door of the translator rather than the author.
Actually Catarella isn't a complete idiot. He is a bit clumsy and stumbles over words and has difficulty with vocabulary but he's actually quiet smart and a wiz at computers/technology. Also, he's loyal, honest and a hard worker. He's one of the few "good cops" who hasn't been corrupted so in my book, that makes up for a lot of his flaws. And his exaggerated behaviours thrown in for comic relief really do grow on you after a few episodes. Although initially I thought he was really irritating, I've come to love him! His character really adds a lot to the show.
shareI have to check, but I think the guy who plays Catarella may be famous in Italy, so It's like seeing a famous movie actor, playing against type... or repeating what we expect him to do, like WC Fields or something... I'm exaggerating, but I'll get back when I know.
shareI await the fruits of your research.
FWIW, cast members appear in Mhz Network's "Making of 'Montalbano'" ("Montalbano" is featured in their "International Mystery" series). I'm not sure if it's called that, but that's what it is. They show segments to fill in odd half-hours, or at least they did.
Anyway, Angelo Russo (Catarella) appears briefly, and the other actors make affectionate comments about him during their interviews.
I'm not saying that he's exactly like Catarella, but he's extremely cheerful and a comical fast talker. In fact, Cesare Bocci (Mimi) jokes that the very Sicilian Russo talks so fast off-camera that "even the Sicilians" have trouble understanding him.
These are only glimpses, but Russo seems truly happy-go-lucky. So I don't think he's exactly playing against type. On the other hand, I don't think he actually bangs into doors and doorways all the time like Catarella does.
As he raced headlong down the little path between the vineyards, Montalbano remembered that Agatino Catarella would now be on duty at the station, and that therefore the phone conversation he was about to engage in promised at the very least to be problematic, if not the source of unfortunate and even dangerous musunderstandings. This Catarella was frankly hopeless. Slow to think and slow to act, he had been hired by the police because he was a distant relative of the formerly all-powerful Chamber Deputy Cusumano...
(The Terracotta Dog, p 23)
Thank you. I knew I had heard or read that Catarella got his job because of a powerful relative, but I couldn't remember where.
shareI was in the middle of The Terracotta Dog and I knew I'd read this only a day or two earlier...
I can't wait for the newest episodes. According to Wikipedia:
Additional episodes were being filmed in Sicily in April/May 2015
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inspector_Montalbano_(TV_series)
Speaking of the books and Catarella:
I read "The Snack Thief" quite a while ago, and enjoyed it. Being a virtuoso procrastinator, I'm just now starting "The Voice of the Violin".
I don't remember Catarella from "The Snack Thief" book; that is, I'm sure he was in it but I don't remember the details.
Unfortunately, his early appearance in "Violin" makes me cringe. It's extremely difficult to render speech in dialect, accents, or similar idiosyncracies without it being annoying and off-putting in a "nails screeching down a blackboard" way.
I can't say whether Camilleri brings it off successfully in the original Italian-- but, if so, it was lost in the translation.
I'm also disappointed at the way Montalbano treats Catarella in the book; he's condescending, or perhaps I should say patronizing, and "humors" Catarella as if he were a child.
Also, at least so far, the reader is led to believe that Catarella really is "dead wood", a worse than useless employee foisted on Montalbano because of nepotism, and without the redeeming qualities Catarella displays in the TV version.
The TV version is more sophisticated and nuanced; Montalbano shows his annoyance and exasperation with Catarella's hapless idiocy, but makes allowances for it without "talking down" to him the way he does in the book.
However, I realize that it's early in the book, and both the characters and their relationship may "evolve". I'm looking forward to it.
However, I realize that it's early in the book, and both the characters and their relationship may "evolve". I'm looking forward to it.Montalbano's estimation of Catarella very much does evolve - slowly - over a number of books. At one point Catarella goes on a computer course and takes to it like a duck to water (in contrast to Montalbano who is computer-phobic) and thereby becomes a valuable asset. In Rounding the Mark (the seventh in the series, which I'm reading now) Catarella has an insight into an aspect of the case which turns out to be correct, despite its apparent craziness. Montalbano explains to Fazio and Augello:
"What I mean is that Catarella has the kind of fantasies, brainstorms, and bright ideas a little kid does. And being a little kid, he says what he's thinking, he doesn't hold back. And often he's right on the mark. Beacause reality, when seen through our eyes, is one thing, but when seen through a child's eyes, it's something else."
You forget he has his own brand of genius. He mastered computers and was at the top of the list among many when Montabalno sent him to train. He's loyal, honest, works hard, and cannot be corrupted.
share