But it's not all what At War with Love (In guerra per amore) is about, comedy is just the vessel to deliver the historic fact what US did with Italian mafia during the World War II.
I don't know if the protagonist's story ever happened, but if you ask me if an Italian, a Sicilian-American man would go to a war for asking the permission from the father of the woman he loves, I'd say yes.
The accuracy of the true event probably isn't as portrayed in the film, in fact, I don't think it would be that humorous when US approached mafia for help. Even in the film, since the Lieutenant Chiamparino (Andrea Di Stefano) went to prison to free so-called anti-fascist prisoners who actually were mafia, the flavor started to turn sour, just like sweet-then-sour candies.
What would you expect when someone makes a deal with mafia?
Chiamparino was a good man, fighting for his country, the United States of America, and you could see the potential between him and the boy, when he not just gave the boy the lyrics (which was censored by fascist), but sang Donkey Flyin' in the Sky to the boy. I really hoped he wasn't married with kids, so the boy might have chance to have a father again. Sadly, the boy was the one who found his body.
After he sang the song, he asked the boy what this English song means, the boy doesn't seem to speak English.
"... sometimes things can change, but it depends on you," said Chiamparino.
That could be why Arturo (Pif) went to White House first before going back to marry Flora (Miriam Leone). Chiamparino once said to him that he didn't give a crap to his country, and that's why he was trying to deliver Chiamparino's letter. At least, Arturo tried.
The ending is bittersweet, Arturo got the girl, but they were sitting on bench, waiting for President Roosevelt's summon. Let's not kid ourselves, if this did happen, they wouldn't never get into the Oval Office.
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