IFF Film Review: "Marriage Italian Style" ("Matrimonio all'italiana") (1964).

"You have never seen it before! A New torrent of emotions! A New Triumph of Film-Making from EMbassy Pictures who brought you "Divorce Italian Style" and "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" now brings you..." Marriage Italian Style (Matrimonio all'italiana). This Italian film directed by Vittorio De Sica, adapted by Leonardo Benvenuti, Renato Castellani, Piero De Bernardi and Tonino Guerra, and based on the play Filumena Marturano by Eduardo De Filippo. When handsome, successful Domenico first meets the sexy young waif Filomena in Naples during World War II, he is instantly smitten. Flash forward to the postwar years, and the two meet again, sparking a passionate affair that spans two decades. But when Filomena -- who has now become Domenico's kept woman and has secretly borne his children -- learns that her lover is planning to wed another, she stops at nothing to hook him into marrying her instead.

Written in 1946 by De Filippo, an Italian playwright, actor and poet, and was initially written as a tribute to his sister Titina De Filippo, a famous Neapolitan theatrical actress, who took the title role in the first production in Naples. The first night of the new play, proved a disappointment however, and received lukewarm notices from the Neapolitan theatre-going public. Titina decided to address this by following her own instincts and performing as she felt the role required. She was proved right. The play achieved great success. Thanks to an arrangement made by Carlo Trabucco, the editor of the daily Italian Christian Democrat newspaper Il Popolo, an audience was arranged for the cast to meet Pope Pius XII in a private audience in the Vatican. At the audience, the pope unexpectedly asked to hear one of the monologues, and Titina recited for him the prayer of Filumena to the Madonna of the Roses. In 1977, an English language version of the pay by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall played at the Lyric Theatre in London directed by Franco Zeffirelli and starring Colin Blakely and Joan Plowright. This won The London Theatres Comedy of the year award in 1978. The production was taken to New York City where it opened in 1980 at the St. James Theatre on Broadway where it ran for thirty-two performances. Before the New York transfer, it had a run in Baltimore where it was directed by Laurence Olivier (husband of Plowright). The play was performed at the Piccadilly Theatre, London, opening in 1998 and running until 1999. It was directed by Peter Hall with Judi Dench in the title role and Michael Pennington played Domenico. The play is also the basis for the 1950 Spanish language Argentine musical film Filomena Marturano, multiple Italian adaptations under its original title.

The film stars Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni. Loren created an altogether different yet iconic interpretation of the ex-prostitute character. Mastroianni perfectly embodied the arrogant but charming wealthy aristocrat. The chemistry between the two actors was dynamite in every sense.

Not at the same level as Bicycle Thieves or Two Women, but it's another masterpiece all the same, bringing a much-needed humor, warmth, and sexuality to the director's work.

Simon says Marriage Italian Style (Matrimonio all'italiana) receives:

Also, see my IFF review for The Leopard (Il Gattopardo).