I was totally surprised at how great this film.You could feel your paranoia rise as the film went on and as you gradually learned the details of the real situation.

Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Let me start by stating that this is a superbly intelligent and funny film which enlists among it protagonists the medium by occasionally 'pointing' to its delivery technique/style. A sharp social commentary picture, delivered with humour and satire; a synthesis of some of Italy's trends and moods at the end of the 1970s; the voice of one of its embedded protagonist who observes and reflects on cultural issues and society in general and how they affect his generation (e.g. cigarette corporations ads and movies). The language barrier can be dealt with in fact it was very well received and appreciated by the European viewership and nominated for the Palm d'Or, the highest honour at the Cannes Film Festival. As for the role of the 'reader': the viewer, whatever his or her origins and background, could reflect on the history of his or her country, its economic developments/corporate influence, its educational policies, its social fears and/or generational angst, its mid-late nineteenth century dilemmas. Subsequently, the latter can be compared to those of other countries, in this case to Italy's and how they are depicted in Moretti's rendition in ECCE BOMBO. The findings can be enlightening and have much to say about the dynamics of the relationship between the individual and his or her community in their own country, the social milieu he or she inhabits and how they affect each other. This 1978 classic of world cinema is definitely an entertaining and astute 'study' of society which the medium of the cinema affords.

Far from being the celebrated star of today, Nanni Moretti just represents himself at 23, and his life with his parents, sister and friends. The location is Rome, its town, but most of the scenes are taken in simple apartments, where he and his friends like to meet to discuss about themselves, in a sort of auto therapy group. Moretti manages to combine the scenes and the music - mostly Italian singers and authors - and most of the characters are his real friends. He succeeds in giving a true description of the social life of the time, without missing to give his touch of caustic remarks. On this respect, the scenes between Michele and his girlfriends are quite brilliant in their portrayal of the nervous inadequacy of our "anti-hero"...

Using a fragmentary technique, Nanni Moretti represents the crisis of the Italian young generation of 1977, through a series of short scenes. Young guys have conflicts with their parents, monotonous relationships with their friends and complicated love affairs with women. The do not believe in '68 ideals anymore and do not find other inspiration and passions, so what they do, is simply living. But Moretti's very sarcastic and cruel style easily leads to laugh, to smile, to think. The dialogs are very funny and the characters are so hilarious. Moretti filmed his first movie in 16mm. This movie costed 180 millions of Italian Liras (about 90,000 Dollars) but it earned 2 billions of Liras (about 1 million Dollars). Not bad, if you think that it was the first movie of a not-known director. In conclusion, a great cult-movie..

The movie is a little cult in Italy. Some incredible scenes like the dialogue with the girl that doesn't create anything of concrete, the scream of "ecce bombo" or the poet friend of the student are great ironic suggestions to a new kind of cinema founded by Nanni Moretti.