Directed by Roberto Rossellini • 1952 • Italy
Starring Ingrid Bergman, Alexander Knox
In the Italian-language version of this film, Ingrid Bergman plays a wealthy, self-absorbed Rome socialite racked by guilt over the shocking death of her young son. As a way of dealing with her grief and finding meaning in her life, she decides to devote her time and money to the city’s poor and sick. Her newfound, single-minded activism leads to conflicts with her husband and questions about her sanity. The intense, often overlooked EUROPA ’51 was, according to Rossellini, a retelling of his own THE FLOWERS OF ST. FRANCIS from a female perspective. This unabashedly political but sensitively conducted investigation of modern sainthood was the director’s favorite of his films.
Up Next in Italian Neorealism
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Umberto D.
Directed by Vittorio De Sica • 1952 • Italy
Starring Carlo Battisti, Maria Pia CasilioThis neorealist masterpiece by Vittorio De Sica follows an elderly pensioner as he strives to make ends meet during Italy’s postwar economic recovery. Alone except for his dog, Flike, Umberto struggles to main...
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I vitelloni
Directed by Federico Fellini • 1953 • Italy
Five young men linger in a postadolescent limbo, dreaming of adventure and escape from their small seacoast town. They while away their time spending the lira doled out by their indulgent families on drink, women, and nights at the local pool hall. Fed...
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Journey to Italy
Directed by Roberto Rossellini • 1954 • Italy
Starring Ingrid Bergman, George SandersAmong the most influential films of the postwar era, Roberto Rossellini’s JOURNEY TO ITALY (VIAGGIO IN ITALIA) charts the declining marriage of a couple from England (Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders) on a tri...
