C'eravamo tanto amati
Encyclopedia
We All Loved Each Other So Much is a 1974
Italian
comedy-drama
film directed by Ettore Scola and written by Scola and the famous screenwriter duo of Age & Scarpelli
. It stars Stefania Sandrelli
, Vittorio Gassman
, Nino Manfredi
, Stefano Satta Flores
and Aldo Fabrizi
, among others.
It is generally considered one of the finest and most influential movies of the so-called commedia all'italiana
genre.
, the three go for different lives: Nicola in Nocera Inferiore
(southern Italy), Antonio in Rome and Gianni in Pavia
.
Later, both Antonio and Gianni fall in love with young Luciana (Sandrelli), and through their relationships go back to the history of post-war Italy, along with the related hopes and disappointments.
Gianni, now a lawyer's assistant, moves to Rome and arranges to marry the semi-illiterate daughter of a construction tycoon with questionable fame, a former fascist who managed to get good connections with the pro-american conservative Christian democratic party dominating public life (and building licenses) in post-war Italy. His wife, resenting her inadequacy, tries to turn into the woman he longs for but ultimately fails and dies in a car accident which could even have been an elaborate form of suicide. Antonio, worker in a hospital, has instead remained loyal to the ideals of their youth, and is now a fervent communist activist. Nicola, the most intellectual of the trio, leaves Nocera and his family and moves to Rome, too, to try win a fortune on the famous TV quiz Lascia o raddoppia
. After his failure, he leads an economically troubled life writing occasional articles for newspapers, increasingly turning himself into a caricature of an intellectual, lost in futile polemics.
After several decades the three friends meet again in the trattoria
where they spent their last evening together, commenting bitterly on their lives. Antonio, the orderly has less to complain about and tells his other friends that Luciana has become his wife and he now has two children with her. Later in the evening Nicola argues with him on ideological questions, eventually physically attacking him. In the conundrum Gianni loses his driving license and the following day Antonio, Nicola and Luciana try to deliver it back to him. They see his villa and realize the affluent lifestyle he's leading (something he dared not tell his friends the evening before) but they also understand that, having to sacrifice his ideals for his wealth, he is by far the least fortunate of them.
in 1977. It also won two Silver Ribbons (Italian cinema critics award, for Fabrizi and Ralli) and the Golden Prize in the 1975 Moscow International Film Festival
.
and television
in cameo appearances: These include filmmakers Federico Fellini
and Vittorio De Sica
, TV anchorman Mike Bongiorno
and actor
s Marcello Mastroianni
and Anita Ekberg
, all as themselves.
1974 in film
The year 1974 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 7 - Blazing Saddles is released in the USA.*August 7 - Peter Wolf, lead singer of The J...
Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
comedy-drama
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
film directed by Ettore Scola and written by Scola and the famous screenwriter duo of Age & Scarpelli
Age & Scarpelli
Age & Scarpelli is the stage name used by the pair of Italian screenwriters Agenore Incrocci and Furio Scarpelli . Together, they wrote the script for about a hundred movies, mainly satirical comedies....
. It stars Stefania Sandrelli
Stefania Sandrelli
Stefania Sandrelli is an Italian actress, famous for her many roles in the commedia all'Italiana, starting from 1960s. She was 15 years old when she starred in Divorce, Italian Style, as Marcello Mastroianni's cousin, Angela.She was born in Viareggio, Tuscany. She had a long relationship with...
, Vittorio Gassman
Vittorio Gassman
Vittorio Gassman Knight Grand Cross OMRI , popularly known as Il Mattatore, was an Italian theatre and film actor and director...
, Nino Manfredi
Nino Manfredi
Nino Manfredi was an Italian actor, one of the most prominent in the commedia all'italiana genre....
, Stefano Satta Flores
Stefano Satta Flores
Stefano Satta Flores was an Italian film and dubbing actor.A native of Naples, Italy, Satta Flores graduated from the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in the Italian capital city of Rome. He began acting in amateur dramatics at the Piccolo Teatro, where he acted in Shakespeare and Sbragia plays...
and Aldo Fabrizi
Aldo Fabrizi
Aldo Fabrizi was an Italian actor and cinema and theatre director.-Actor Filmography:* Avanti, c'è posto... by Mario Bonnard...
, among others.
It is generally considered one of the finest and most influential movies of the so-called commedia all'italiana
Commedia all'italiana
Commedia all'italiana or Italian-style comedy is an Italian film genre. It is widely considered to have started with Mario Monicelli's I soliti ignoti in 1958 and derives its name from the title of Pietro Germi's Divorzio all'italiana .-Stars:Vittorio Gassman, Ugo...
genre.
Plot
In the first part (shot in black-and-white) the friends Gianni (Gassman), Antonio (Manfredi) and Nicola (Satta Flores) are partisans who fight for the liberation of Italy from the yoke of Nazi occupation and the fascist collaborationists aiding in it. After the end of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the three go for different lives: Nicola in Nocera Inferiore
Nocera Inferiore
Nocera Inferiore, formerly Nocera dei Pagani, is a town and comune in Campania, Italy, in the province of Salerno, at the foot of Monte Albino, 20 km east-south-east of Naples by rail.-History:...
(southern Italy), Antonio in Rome and Gianni in Pavia
Pavia
Pavia , the ancient Ticinum, is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It is the capital of the province of Pavia. It has a population of c. 71,000...
.
Later, both Antonio and Gianni fall in love with young Luciana (Sandrelli), and through their relationships go back to the history of post-war Italy, along with the related hopes and disappointments.
Gianni, now a lawyer's assistant, moves to Rome and arranges to marry the semi-illiterate daughter of a construction tycoon with questionable fame, a former fascist who managed to get good connections with the pro-american conservative Christian democratic party dominating public life (and building licenses) in post-war Italy. His wife, resenting her inadequacy, tries to turn into the woman he longs for but ultimately fails and dies in a car accident which could even have been an elaborate form of suicide. Antonio, worker in a hospital, has instead remained loyal to the ideals of their youth, and is now a fervent communist activist. Nicola, the most intellectual of the trio, leaves Nocera and his family and moves to Rome, too, to try win a fortune on the famous TV quiz Lascia o raddoppia
Lascia o raddoppia?
Lascia o raddoppia? was a game show that aired on Italian television from 1955-1959. It was considered the Italian version of The $64,000 Question....
. After his failure, he leads an economically troubled life writing occasional articles for newspapers, increasingly turning himself into a caricature of an intellectual, lost in futile polemics.
After several decades the three friends meet again in the trattoria
Trattoria
A trattoria is an Italian-style eating establishment, less formal than a ristorante, but more formal than an osteria. There are generally no printed menus, the service is casual, wine is sold by the decanter rather than the bottle, prices are low, and the emphasis is on a steady clientele rather...
where they spent their last evening together, commenting bitterly on their lives. Antonio, the orderly has less to complain about and tells his other friends that Luciana has become his wife and he now has two children with her. Later in the evening Nicola argues with him on ideological questions, eventually physically attacking him. In the conundrum Gianni loses his driving license and the following day Antonio, Nicola and Luciana try to deliver it back to him. They see his villa and realize the affluent lifestyle he's leading (something he dared not tell his friends the evening before) but they also understand that, having to sacrifice his ideals for his wealth, he is by far the least fortunate of them.
Awards
The film won a César Award for Best Foreign FilmCésar Award for Best Foreign Film
This is the list of winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Foreign Film .-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:...
in 1977. It also won two Silver Ribbons (Italian cinema critics award, for Fabrizi and Ralli) and the Golden Prize in the 1975 Moscow International Film Festival
Moscow International Film Festival
Moscow International Film Festival , is the film festival first held in Moscow in 1959. From its inception to 1995 it was held every second year in July, alternating with the Karlovy Vary festival. The festival has been held annually since 1995....
.
Trivia
The film features notable figures of Italian cinemaFilm
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
in cameo appearances: These include filmmakers Federico Fellini
Federico Fellini
Federico Fellini, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI , was an Italian film director and scriptwriter. Known for a distinct style that blends fantasy and baroque images, he is considered one of the most influential and widely revered filmmakers of the 20th century...
and Vittorio De Sica
Vittorio de Sica
Vittorio De Sica was an Italian director and actor, a leading figure in the neorealist movement....
, TV anchorman Mike Bongiorno
Mike Bongiorno
Michael Nicholas Salvatore Bongiorno , known as Mike Bongiorno, was an American-born Italian television host. He started his career on Italian TV in the 1950s and was considered to be the most popular host in Italy...
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
s Marcello Mastroianni
Marcello Mastroianni
Marcello Vincenzo Domenico Mastroianni, Knight Grand Cross was an Italian film actor. His honours included British Film Academy Awards, Best Actor awards at the Cannes Film Festival and two Golden Globe Awards.- Personal life :...
and Anita Ekberg
Anita Ekberg
Kerstin Anita Marianne Ekberg is a Swedish model, actress and cult sex symbol. She is best known for her role as Sylvia in the 1960 Federico Fellini film La Dolce Vita which features the legendary scene of her cavorting in Trevi Fountain alongside Marcello Mastroianni.-Biography:Ekberg was born in...
, all as themselves.