AllMovie

"The Inspector General" is a satirical comedy of errors penned by Nikolay Gogol in the 19th century and interpreted here by director Marta Meszaros for the cinema. Jan Nowicki stars as the corrupt mayor of a small town who learns that the formidable inspector general is going to show up incognito, of course, to judge the town's governing body. When an unsuspecting stranger is mistaken for the V.I.P., the mayor and his cohorts fall over backwards to offer him every pleasure under the sun, including the mayor's wife and daughter. Director Meszaros' interpretation has excellent acting and good black-and-white photography, but the comedy itself needs more emphasis to capture the hearts of most viewers.