Marriage Italian Style

Marriage Italian Style (Matrimonio All’Italiana)
Directed by Vittorio De Sica
Written by Renato Castellani, Tonino Guerra, Leonardo Benvenuti, and Piero De Bernardi from a novel by Eduardo De Filippo
1964/Italy/France
Compagna Cinematografica Champion/Les Films Concordia
First viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Domenico Soriano: [subtitled version] The more the world changes, the more it stays the same. Houses, palaces, skyscrapers. And in the middle… an old story like ours.[/box]

Loren and Mastroianni make an unbeatable couple.

As the film begins, Domenico Soriano’s (Marcello Mastroianni) preparations for his wedding to a young cashier are interrupted by a call to the apartment of his mistress Filumena Marturano.  She is apparently at death’s door.  The priest who performed last rites begs Soriano to make an honest woman out of her with a death bed marriage.  As soon as the short ceremony is performed Filumena perks right up.  Soriano is livid.

Most of the film consists of flashbacks to the couples’ 20-year relationship through the eyes of one or the other.  Filumena moves from prostitute, to mistress, to virtual housewifery, to a kind of business partner.  She is devoted but Soriano is less so, taking frequent “vacations”.  By the end ,she has had more than enough.  She also has a few surprises to spring on the callous bachelor.

I loved every minute of this.  It deepens from comedy to heartfelt drama.  And Loren!  How could one woman be so beautiful and so talented at the same time?  Mastroianni is no slouch either, obviously.  Warmly recommended.

Marriage Italian Style was nominated for Academy Awards in the categories of Best Foreign-Language Film and Best Actress.

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I won’t post again until March 16.  I’m going to Las Vegas to welcome the latest addition to our family.