Love in the City (1953) ( L'Amore in città )

Love in the City (1953) (DVD) (*)

$31.99

Original Title: L'Amore in città
Screened, competed or awarded at:
Other Film Festival Awards

Language Selections:
English ( Subtitles )
Italian ( Mono )

Product Origin/Format:
United Kingdom ( PAL/Region 2 )

Running Time:
104 min

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen

Special Features:
Interactive Menu
Scene Access
Black & White

Movie filmed in 1953 and produced in:
Italy ( Italy, Greece )

Directed By:
Michelangelo Antonioni
Federico Fellini

Written By:
Michelangelo Antonioni
Aldo Buzzi

Actors:
Rita Josa ..... '
Rosanna Carta ..... '
Enrico Pelliccia ..... '
Donatella Marrosu ..... '
Paolo Pacetti ..... '
Nella Bertuccioni ..... '
Lilia Nardi ..... '
Lena Rossi ..... '
Maria Nobili ..... '
Antonio Cifariello ..... Giornalista (segment Agenzia matrimoniale
Livia Venturini ..... (segment Agenzia matrimoniale
Maresa Gallo ..... (segment Agenzia matrimoniale
Angela Pierro ..... (segment Agenzia matrimoniale
Rita Andreana ..... (segment Agenzia matrimoniale
Lia Natali ..... (segment Agenzia matrimoniale

Synopsis:

A collage of little seen shorts directed by some of the leading Italian Neorealist-directors L'amore in Citta a.k.a Love in the City (1953) is the latest offering by Minerva Classics-Italia.

Amore Che si Paga a.k.a Love for Money (11 min) directed by Carlo Lizani with a screenplay by Cesare Zavattini. A mosaic of scattered images where the night workers are followed by a man with provocative questions-the short feels as an interview where the women explain their unfortunate profession.

Tentato Suicidio a.k.a Attempted Suicide (22 min) directed by Michelangelo Antonioni with a screenplay by Cesare Zavattini. A heartbroken woman contemplates suicide after her life has unexpectedly crumbled. Desperation quickly takes over and the unthinkable becomes a possibility.

Paradiso per tre ore a.k.a Paradise for Three Hours (12 min) directed by Dino Risi with a screenplay by Cesare Zavattini. A loud dance party brings comfort to a man and a woman too shy to join the celebration. They observe the games men and women play and eventually leave the hall.

Agenzia matrimoniale a.k.a Marriage Agency (16 min) directed by Federico Fellini with a screenplay by Federico Fellini. A young journalist preparing an article on arranged marriages pretends to be a customer looking for a bride for his rich client. He sees a poor Italian girl willing to become a housewife even though she is told that the client and future husband is a werewolf.

Storia di Caterina a.k.a Story of Caterina (27 min) directed by Francesco Maselli with a screenplay by Cesare Zavattini. A poor woman from Sicily moves to Rome looking for a better life. Her plans quickly take a dive as she could not secure a job. The woman is forced to abandon her son in the local park as she could no longer take care of him.

Gli Italiani si Voltano a.k.a Italians Turn Their Heads (14 min) directed by Cesare Zavattini with a screenplay by Cesare Zavattini. A collage of candid camera excerpts focusing on men observing and responding to the presence of beautiful women.

Inspired by Cesare Zavattini L'amore in Citta is misleading in its proclamation of love. Stripped of excessive glamour the films in the collection focus on investigating the darker side of a compromised social system and those caught in its web: prostitution, unemployment, extortion are a few of the themes the Italian directors address.

'Reality', a key fragment in this project, is practically untouched by the hands of the film editor. The director's camera is used as an 'observer' whose only mission is to capture a fragment from the lives of the main protagonists (a predominant amount of them are non-professional actors even though some true icons of Italian cinema such as Ugo Tognazzi, Maressa Gallo, and Caterina Riogoglioso among others also participated). Logically, each story is nothing more than a document acknowledging life on the streets of Italy.

As described by Zavattini L'amore in Citta is an episodic film. Here the only reappearing motif is verism (the logical next step of realism) as seen by the camera. Relationships or secondary plots are practically unimportant to the message the directors attempt to convey even though each short offers a dramatic resolution.

Finally, L'amore in Citta does not judge the actions of those whose lives are captured by the camera. On the contrary the film invites the viewer to ponder reality by remaining silent. Slogans or political statements are nowhere to be found even though the narrator's questions are indeed suggestive.

This product was added to our catalog on Tuesday 30 July, 2024.