Nino Rota Movies
Italian composer Nino Rota's first oratorio was performed in 1921, when he was a veteran at age 11. Refining his skills at the Milan Conservatory, the Santa Cecilia Academy of Italy, and the Curtis Institute of the United States, Rota continued turning out symphonies, operas, and ballets throughout his long career, and also spent nearly four decades as director of the Bari Conservatory. His best-known operas include Torquemada (1942), The Florentine Straw Hat (1946), and Alladin and His Magic Lamp (1968), all bearing the influence of his many years as a film composer. Rota's first movie work was for Italy's "white telephone" romances and musicals of the 1930s. In an earthier vein, Rota composed for several of the neorealist directors of the postwar era. His longest professional association (25 years) was with director Federico Fellini, who once described the relationship thusly: "It is a harmonious collaboration that I haven't felt like changing. His music is a kind of drama that is very true for my story and images." Rota's better-known Fellini scores were for La Strada (1954), Il Bidone (1955), Nights of Cabiria (1956), and, perhaps best of all, La Dolce Vita (1961). One of Rota's many stage compositions was for a late-'50s ballet version of La Strada. When director Francis Ford Coppola wanted an authentic Italian "feel" for the music of the Godfather, he knew exactly who to contact: Nino Rota, who won his first-ever Oscar for the now-classic The Godfather score (alas, he was later disqualified because he'd lifted his themes from one of his own earlier film scores). Outside of Godfather, Nino Rota's most popular film composition was the love theme from Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet (1968). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Fresh off of the international success of La Dolce Vita, master director Federico Fellini moved into the realm of self-reflexive autobiography with what is widely believed to be his finest and most personal work. Marcello Mastroianni delivers a brilliant performance as Fellini's alter ego Guido Anselmi, a film director overwhelmed by the large-scale production he has undertaken. He finds himself harangued by producers, his wife, and his mistress while he struggles to find the inspiration to finish his film. The stress plunges Guido into an interior world where fantasy and memory impinge on reality. Fellini jumbles narrative logic by freely cutting from flashbacks to dream sequences to the present until it becomes impossible to pry them apart, creating both a psychological portrait of Guido's interior world and the surrealistic, circus-like exterior world that came to be known as "Felliniesque." 8 1/2 won an Academy Award for Best Foreign-Language Film, as well as the grand prize at the Moscow Film Festival, and was one of the most influential and commercially successful European art movies of the 1960s, inspiring such later films as Bob Fosse's All That Jazz (1979), Woody Allen's Stardust Memories (1980), and even Lucio Fulci's Italian splatter film Un Gatto nel Cervello (1990). ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
- Starring:
- Marcello Mastroianni, Claudia Cardinale, (more)
This homage to the cinema by venerated movie-maker Agnes Varda, often dubbed the "grandmother" of the French New Wave, features an all-star international cast. The story is based upon the memories and insights of the 100-year old Mr. Simon Cinema. He lives in a magnificent house filled with movie memorabilia. To help him remember the important details of his career he hires Camille, a film student to write down his remembrances and experiences which have involved all areas of movie-making. Camille comes once a day for 101 days. Film clips, photographs and actual visitors highlight his stories. As he continues to spin his yarns, the imagery in the film smoothly morph into other images. Camille, when not recording, is involved in other exploits including a romance with a production assistant, Mica who aspires to becoming a director. She also begins plotting a way to get to Mr. Cinema's fortune by having a friend pose as his long lost heir. Many other characters are peripherally involved including Death, an Italian seeking the rights to his film catalogue, and a memory specialist. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michel Piccoli, Marcello Mastroianni, (more)
- 1947
The Italian Prelude to Madness (Manti Senza Amore) was adapted from Leo Tolstoy's Kreutzer Sonata. Prosperous doctor Rolando Dupi impulsively marries pianist Clara Calamai. The union is an unhappy one, and at one point Calamai attempts suicide, only to be stopped by her otherwise impassive husband. Desperate for companionship, Calamai becomes friends with violinist Jean Servais. Dupi suspects that his wife is having an affair, but when casually discussing the matter with Servais, he discovers his fears are groundless. Unfortunately Dupi comes to this realization after he has murdered his wife. The Beethoven themes heard throughout Prelude to Madness were arranged by Nino Rota, better known for his work on such later films as Romeo and Juliet (68) and The Godfather (72). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Roldano Lupi, Clara Calamai, (more)
Federico Fellini's warmly nostalgic memory piece examines daily life in the Italian village of Rimini during the reign of Mussolini, and won the 1974 Academy Award as Best Foreign Film. The film's greatest asset is its ability to be sweet without being cloying, due in great part to Danilo Donati's surrealistic art direction and to the frequently bawdy injections of sex and politics by screenwriters Fellini and Tonino Guerra. Fellini clearly has deep affection for the people of this seaside village, warts and all, and communicates it through episodic visual anecdotes which are seen as if through the mists of a favorite dream, playfully scored by Nino Rota and lovingly photographed by Giuseppe Rotunno. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bruno Zanin, Pupella Maggio, (more)
- 1955
Amiel per la Pelle (Friends for Life) is largely told from a child's-eye point of view. The heroes of the piece are Mario (Geronimo Meynier) and Franco (Andrea Seire), young classmates and inseparable buddies. After several "Our Gang"-style adventures, the boys' friendship is threatened when Mario reveals a secret that Franco confided in him. The film originally ended on a somber note, though reportedly some prints contained a happier finale. The performances by the two young stars are appealingly natural; conversely, the adult players, especially Luigi Tosi, tend to go overboard. Amiel per la Pelle was an entry in the Venice Film Festival. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Geronimo Meynier, Luigi Tosi, (more)
- 1951
Silvana Mangano portrays a fickle club chanteuse who must choose between the love of two men (Raf Vallone and Vittorio Gassman). She chooses neither, entering a convent for the sake of convenience. This overwrought drama was produced by Dino de Laurentiis, and reworked by five screenwriters including such respected names as Dino Risi and Franco Brusati, but comes up as a soggy soap-opera rather than an imposing star-vehicle. Nino Rota's fine score and the always watchable Mangano are its only saving graces. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi
- Starring:
- Silvana Mangano, Raf Vallone, (more)
- 1950
The Difficult Years is another uncompromising neorealist exercise by Italian filmmaker Luigi Zampa. The title refers to the years that Italy spent under the thumb of fascism. It is Zampa's thesis that the majority of Italian citizens preferred to ignore Mussolini's trampling of human rights and his ever-increasing megalomania, so long as they were left in peace. Umberto Spadaro stars as Aldo Piscitello, an utterly apolitical government clerk who joins the Fascist Party to maintain his job security and keep his wife happy. After the war, the hapless Aldo is accused of being a fanatical follower of fascism. Though innocent of this charge, he is certainly guilty of not speaking up when it would have done the most good. The English-language version of Difficult Years includes a narration written by Arthur Miller and spoken by John Garfield. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Umberto Spadaro, Massimo Girotti, (more)
- 1953
Anni Facili (The Early Years) stars Nino Taranto as Sicilian professor De Francesco. On behalf of a friend who has developed a revolutionary new medicine, the professor seeks out government approval for the formula in Rome. Miles and miles of red tape later, De Francesco is virtually back where he started. The film not only pokes fun at postwar Italian bureaucracy, but also takes a few swipes at the neofascist movement (hardly a laughing matter in real life). Produced by Carlo Ponti and Dino de Laurentiis, Anni Facili was released outside Europe by Paramount Pictures. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Nino Taranto, Clelia Matania, (more)
- 1948
The Italian Arrivederci, Papa managed to land good bookings in the U.S. thanks to the patronage of Paramount Pictures. This lighthearted musical is based upon a novel premise. From the vantage point of heaven, children yet unborn are permitted to choose their parents. The next step is to make certain that the potential father and mother fall in love and marry. Once this notion is established, the film tends to drag a bit, except during the musical highlights. A variation on the storyline of Arrivederci, Papa can be found in the 1950 Clifton Webb vehicle For Heaven's Sake. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gino Bechi, Silvana Pampanini, (more)
- 1957
An overbearing woman is determined to force her two kids to turn her struggling rice plantation into a success. Unfortunately, it is located on the Indochinese coast and is being threatened by rough seas; all that stands between the paddies and the ocean is a small seawall. More trouble comes in the form of a government agent who tries to get them to abandon the land. After falling in love with the beautiful daughter, the agent abandons his mission. But then her brother tires of his mother's constant harping and flees to Bangkok and this leads to more problems. Featuring an international cast, much of the film was shot on location in Thailand. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Anthony Perkins, Silvana Mangano, (more)
- 1985
- Add Big Deal On Madonna Street...20 Years Later to Queue Add Big Deal On Madonna Street...20 Years Later to top of Queue
The vast differences 27 years makes between Italian comedy, the city of Rome, the stars in this film, and filmmaking itself are apparent in this 1985 sequel to the 1958 I Soliti Ignoti. Clips from the earlier film highlight the changes. Returning to reprise their roles are Marcello Mastroianni, Vittorio Gassman, and Tiberio Murgia. Tiberio (the character played by Mastroianni) has been released from jail, and he is unable to find work. Forced to reluctantly join up with the old gang leader Peppe (Gassman), Tiberio agrees to do a smuggling job when Peppe falls ill. Packing his vehicle with decoy passengers for the border guards, the run works well until everyone is heading back again -- then a series of misunderstandings lead to an unexpected turn of events and a mistaken killing. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Marcello Mastroianni, Vittorio Gassman, (more)
When prodigal son Billy Turner (Judd Nelson) returns to his Florida home town, he's caught in a brawl and thrown in jail. He tells the guards to call his father, the mayor, who will have him released; however, he soon discovers his father has been killed. After Turner finally gets out of jail, he starts to hunt down his father's murderer, with the eventual help of Annie Rayford (Ally Sheedy) and her brother Joey (David Caruso). Their nemesis is the nasty crime boss Perry Kerch (Scott Wilson) and his henchmen, though the slow-witted police chief (Paul Winfield) is not much help, either. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, (more)
Released in the US by 20th Century-Fox, Boccaccio '70 is a compendium of short subjects directed by three of Italy's top filmmakers. Each story is written in the style of the famed Italian essayist Boccaccio, albeit told in contemporary terms. First up is "The Raffle", written by Cesare Zavattini and directed by Vittorio De Sica: Sophia Loren (wife of Boccaccio '70 producer Carlo Ponti) plays the sexy operator of a shooting gallery, who offers herself as first prize to the best shot. In "The Job", written by Suso Cecchi D'Amico and directed by Luchino Visconti, Romy Schneider carries a torch for her philandering boss Tomas Milian. The final segment is "The Temptation of Dr. Antonio", directed by Federico Fellini and scripted by Fellini, Ennio Flaiano and Tullio Pinelli; in this one, Anita Ekberg is an image on a poster who comes to life for the benefit of a drooling middle-aged professor (Peppino De Filippo). A fourth episode, "Renzo and Luciana", directed by Mario Monicelli, was cut from U.S. release. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sophia Loren, Luigi Giuliani, (more)
- 1950
Gina Lollobridgida was a virtual unknown in the U.S. when Campagne a Martello was released to English-speaking countries in 1950. Critics said then what they'd say later: as an actress, Gina was very pretty. The story concerns an Italian prostitute named Agostina (Lollobridgida) who is left without a steady source of income when the American GIs go home. Returning to her own island village, Agostina is secure in the knowledge that she has a sizeable financial nest egg waiting for her. Alas, the money has been rerouted to a home for orphaned and illegitimate children. Incurring the wrath of the locals by demanding that her money be returned, Agostina eventually sees the error of her ways. Director Luigi Zampa shot this film at the same time as an English version with different actors. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gina Lollobrigida, Eduardo de Filippo, (more)
- 1976
- R
Michael is the younger son of a middle-class family, a strong-willed and free-thinking fellow, who is off in some distant country fighting for a revolutionary cause. Everyone in the family writes to him, describing the events of their lives, as they drift into a kind of conventionality which would perhaps have horrified them earlier. Only Michael's girlfriend Mara (Mariangela Melato), the mother of his child, retains her independence, even though it is through the help of Michael's increasingly conventional friends and family that she survives. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mariangela Melato, Delphine Seyrig, (more)
- 1954
This romantic Italian anthology film is comprised of six episodes that deal with a century of love. The first vignette, "Garibaldin," set in 1854, follows a rebellious priest who attempts to sway others to his beliefs. "Pendolin" examines a philandering wife's affair with a hotel porter who really only wanted to give her her lost earrings. "Purification" follows an honorable soldier who refuses to convey his commanding officer's last words to his unworthy girlfriend. In the fourth episode, "Golden Wedding," an elderly couple celebrate their wedding anniversary and discover mutual disillusionment. "The Last Ten Minutes" examines the efforts of a priest and a condemned man to conceal the truth about the man's crime from his wife. Finally, in "Amore," which is set in 1954, a father tries to persuade his daughter's husband to stay married to her. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1956
Cittadi Notte (City at Night) is an existentialist-eye-view of Rome. The story concerns a quartet of "lost souls," played by Patrizia Bini, Henri Vilbert, Antonio De Teffe and Rina Morelli. Practically nothing happens plotwise, though the four protagonists are lovingly photographed (by Mario Bava) as they muse and pontificate on the state of the world. The appeal of Cittadi Notte was rather limited to other existentialists, who weren't much of a sales force in 1957. The film earned its biggest audience when it was shown out of competition at the 1957 Venice Film Festival. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Henri Vilbert
- 1947
What's a country to do when it is handily and thoroughly defeated in a World War? In the case of Italy, the solution was to build several films around that defeat as a sort of "cleansing exercise". One such film was a comedy, Come Persi la Guerra, which was released outside of Italy under the laughing-through-the-tears title How I Lost the War. The soldiers depicted herein by Macario, Carlo Campanini and Nando Bruno are buffoons, only a step or two above the village-idiot category. Most of the laughs are garnered by Macario, a popular Italian music-hall comedian whose film appearances were all too few. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Peter Ustinov began his long association with the Hercule Poirot character of murder mystery novelist Agatha Christie with this lavish but financially disappointing follow-up to the popular Murder on the Orient Express (1974). During a luxurious pleasure cruise down the Nile aboard a lavish vessel populated with wealthy passengers, widely despised heiress and home wrecker Linnet Ridgeway (Lois Chiles) is murdered. Also aboard is famed Belgian detective Poirot (Ustinov) and his taciturn traveling companion, Colonel Race (David Niven). Poirot undertakes an investigation into Ridgeway's killing. Among the colorful suspects are Salome (Angela Lansbury) and Rosalie Otterbourne (Olivia Hussey), Doctor Bessner (Jack Warden), Mrs. Van Schuyler (Bette Davis), Miss Bowers (Maggie Smith), and Jacqueline De Bellefort (Mia Farrow). As more bodies pile up, however, it appears that nearly everyone aboard has a motive. The script for Death on the Nile (1978) was adapted by Anthony Shaffer, the writer of Sleuth (1972) and the identical twin brother of Amadeus (1984) author Peter Shaffer. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Ustinov, Jane Birkin, (more)
Rating Systems
Blockbuster
BLOCKBUSTER name, design and related marks are trademarks of Blockbuster L.L.C.
2013 Blockbuster L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Portions of Content Provided by Rovi Corporation. 2013 Rovi Corporation.