Italian Film Festival - Marriage Italian Style

The Studio Italia | Italian Film Festival NZ warmly invites you to the screening of a Classic Sophia Loren film 'Marriage Italian Style' by Vittorio de Sica.

Sometimes the stars align for a film, and they create cinema history. The story of Marriage Italian Style comes from one of the most important 20th-century Italian playwrights, Eduardo De Filippo’s play Filumena Marturano. The creative forces of Director, Vittorio De Sica, Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni (who were all multi-Academy Award Winners) created one of Italy’s favourite films of the era. In my opinion, these are Sophia Loren’s most fruitful collaborators.

After winning an Oscar for La Ciociara, (also screening in the Italian Film Festival this year) Loren created an altogether different interpretation in the ex-prostitute character, Filumena. Marcello Mastroianni perfectly embodies the arrogant but charming, wealthy aristocrat that strings her along for years, never truly committing to her. The chemistry between the actors is dynamite in every sense. When Filumena realises his attentions are beginning to stray, she embarks on a series of schemes to lure him into marriage. Ultimately Filumena relies on the fragility of male pride and ego by using the dubious paternity of a male heir against him. Loren is formidable, elevating Filumena with intelligence, drama and a flamboyant comic flare. It is hard to imagine that such a pointed critique of Italian patriarchal chauvinism could be so entertaining. This is a perfect film to represent the golden age of Italian Cinema.

“Whenever Vittoria de Sica get together with Sophia Loren to make a motion picture, something wonderful happens.” — Bosley Crowther, The New York Times