There is a much talked about incident, leading many to believe it’s the inciting incident around which the story revolves. In reality, it occurs in the third act and is just one of many trials the two women endure. Many readers know what I am referring to but for spoiler reasons I will comment no more about it.
Twenty-five year old Sophia was deemed too young to play Cesira, feisty mother of a twelve year old, but she pulled it off, earning her a well-deserved Best Actress Oscar. Eleonora Brown played young Rosetta. It’s easy to assume she was much older than her character, but she was twelve during filming. Jean-Paul Belmondo looked familiar and I was surprised to learn that he was the lead in Breathless, released earlier that year. Very different roles.
The story is really about the Italian people and what they faced during the war, caught between a cruel fascist government and allied bombs. Life is chaotic, desperate, and bleak. Not an aspect of the war we are used to seeing here. But an important story. Somewhat hard to watch in parts, but an excellent piece of storytelling. AMRU 4.
No comments:
Post a Comment