The most intimate cultural essence of Naples has always been captured in a form as humble as it is brilliant, by the cinematic works of Massimo Troisi.

Nicknamed the Punchinello without a mask, this actor was able to comically interpret so many facets of human beings, going so far as to draw the profile of the so-called anti-hero, a personality steeped in doubts and worries, which still reflects the state of mind of young people today; in fact, we can be sure of the immortality of his films, which made us laugh and reflect at the same time.

A great actor who lives again in the places of his film works. Let's discover together the ones that serve as the backdrop for the film Sorry for the Delay.

Sorry for the delay

"Vincé, I kill myself, better one day as a lion. Better a hundred days as a sheep? Better one day as a lion, no?" says Tonino, and Vincenzo replies, "Tonì, what do I know from pècura or do lióne, make 50 juórne as a teddy bear, at least be mièzo, don't look like a sheep's shit and not even 'o lióne who lives nu juórno."

This famous quote that Troisi addresses to actor Lello Arena, who plays the role of Tonino within the film, somewhat sums up the attitude that the character he plays, namely Vincenzo, has towards his friend but also towards life in general. The dialogues between the two friends are, in fact, an important and recurring part within the film.

Vincenzo, in fact, is a 30-year-old unemployed, somewhat timid and lazy guy, as awkward as he is superficial in love relationships, who finds himself both frequently consoling his friend Tonino, who has been left by his girlfriend, and embarking on a love affair with Anna, a woman who would like more security and attention from him.

Most of the scenes in which the protagonist is called upon to listen to his friend Tonino, who is completely devastated by this breakup, take place outdoors, so much so that Vincenzo himself complains about this choice, as he was already forced to console him in a thunderstorm the time before.

The locations of the film

These settings include the famous stairs on which the two actors sit in the rain, which are located in the neighborhood Chiaia in Naples, or even the station Guiliano-Qualiano in which Tonino unsuccessfully attempts to commit suicide; the stairs, the home of these comical cries of love, were also titled Massimo Troisi Stairs after the actor's death, through a celebration that paid tribute to him. Those walking through the area cannot help but still imagine the two actors sitting on the stairs, a picture of a dramatic and comic memory that is now indelible.

Despite this, the initiators of the initiative committed a historical forgery, probably a mistake thought out, as the actual flight of stairs in the set is located further down, in an area less accessible to passersby.

The waterfront of Miliscola

Returning to the love story between Vincenzo and Anna, Troisi chose a very striking setting to crown their first kiss, namely the beach of Miliscola in Bacoli, with Miseno Mountain in the background, as well as the islands of Ischia and Procida; unpredictably, the actor was captured by the picture of the nostalgic waves of the summer sea meeting the winter breeze, a scenery whose beauty is also emphasized by the two protagonists in the film.

Miliscola's waterfront is intertwined with that of Miseno, which also houses the Dragonara Cave, carved into a tufa wall that faces the beach on the side facing the island of Procida.

Behind the beach, although not visible from the recordings, opens the Lake Miseno, surrounded by a promenade that accompanies the entire body of water; the route is not too long and allows direct access to the beach via an exit present toward the middle of the route. There is no shortage of small naturalistic glimpses, and in summer it is advisable to take a ride on the pedal boat or the small boat that can be rented from the municipal villa in Bacoli.

Probably Sorry I'm Late is a work with an autobiographical character, in that it is also meant to reflect in part the doubts and concerns that animate the person, not just the character; in fact, this film is Troisi's second signed film after I'm starting over from three, so we can infer that the author was afraid of not reconfirming again the success achieved by the previous film, but we know, fortunately, that this was not the case.