La ciociara (1960)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Vittorio De Sica

Writers:

Alberto Moravia (novel)
Cesare Zavattini (adaptation)

Release Date:

9 May 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

Suddenly...Love Becomes Lust...Innocence becomes shame...As two women are trapped by violent passion and unforgettable terror!

Plot:

Cesira and her 13-year-old daughter, Rosetta, flee from the allied bombs in Rome during the second world war...

Plot Keywords:

Church | Rome | Soldier | Widow | Rape

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 7 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Sophia Loren	...	Cesira
Jean-Paul Belmondo	...	Michele Di Libero (as Jean Paul Belmondo)
Eleonora Brown	...	Rosetta
Carlo Ninchi	...	Filippo, il padre di Michele
Andrea Checchi	...	Un fascista
Pupella Maggio	...	Una contadina
Emma Baron	...	Maria
Bruna Cealti	...	Una sfollata
Antonella Della Porta	...	La madre impazzita
Mario Frera
Franco Balducci	...	Il tedesco nel pagliaio
Luciana Cortellesi
Curt Lowens
Tony Calio		(as Tony Caliò)
Remo Galavotti

Also Known As:

Two Women (UK) (USA)
Paysanne aux pieds nus (France)
The Woman from Ciociara (International: English title) (literal title)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

Italian | German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 (uncut) (re-rating on appeal) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (original rating) | Australia:M | UK:15 | Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

Itri, Latina, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Compagnia Cinematografica Champion

Trivia:

Sophia Loren's Best Actress Academy Award was the first Oscar ever given for a performance in a "foreign-language" film.

Quotes:

Cesira: I'd like to see you living like I did, sleeping in a shed! And we ate once a day, that's all. So, I went with the first one that said "I will bring you to Rome." I married Rome, not him.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Breach (2007)

another great De Sica film

very sad film by vittorio de sica (famed director of "the bicycle thief.") the first two thirds of the film move slowly, but it's still very engrossing. the final third of the film is pure cinematic tragedy. sophia loren won the oscar for best performance for a lead actress in this movie, and i beleive that she dearly deserved it. prior to seeing "two women" i had no idea what a terrific actress she was. her role as the mother desperately trying to shield her daughter from the horrors of the world is one of the finest that i have ever seen. this is a truly heartbreaking and beautiful film.