For Love and Gold

A band of crafty rogues steals a scroll said to grant its holder dominion over the land of Aurocastro, a fief in southern Apulia. They name Brancaleone da Norcia, a shaggy but stubborn knight, as their leader and press ahead to claim the supposed treasure. Their plan hinges on swagger rather than strategy, and the group sets out with dreams of wealth and power flapping in the wind. What follows is a romp through a string of comic misadventures as misfits bumble through villages, clash with rivals, and chase favors from chance encounters. The trek tests loyalty, nerve, and luck, turning a grandiose scheme into a series of ridiculous, memorable episodes that sharpen the film's satirical edge.

Released in 1966, the film was directed by Mario Monicelli, with a screenplay by Agenore Incrocci and Furio Scarpelli. It stands as a lively entry in Italian comedy that blends farce with social observation.

Worldwide box office reported around 1.31 million dollars, a solid result for a mid 1960s Italian comedy and a sign of its broad audience appeal.

Critics welcomed the movie for its brisk pace and a deft blend of farce with social satire. It skewers greed and vanity while letting a rogues gallery and Brancaleone’s stubborn code carry the humor. The performances, especially Vittorio Gassman as Brancaleone and Catherine Spaak as Matelda, anchor the tonal balance.

Over time Vittorio Gassman’s Brancaleone became an enduring comic archetype in Italian cinema, a stubborn yet sympathetic adventurer who undercuts pompous pretension. The film reinforced Monicelli’s knack for turning medieval whimsy into social critique and influenced later satirical takes on chivalric myths. Its brisk pacing, visual gags, and memorable lines helped shape the Brancaleone tradition and continue to be cited by fans and scholars exploring 1960s Italian comedy.