Italian Buster Keaton? Benigni's 'The Monster' and the comic machine'

Keaton's and Benigni's working methods, as well as the roots of their comic screen personae reveal striking similarities. Benigini diverges from Keaton primarily in terms of the artistic intent of his sociopolitical ambitions. He wants his ideas of comedy and laughter to be taken seriously, and to bestow legitimacy on comedy by reframing topical issues through the subversive lens of laughter