Malèna
Encyclopedia
Malèna is a 2000 Italian
romantic drama film starring Monica Bellucci
and Giuseppe Sulfaro. It was directed and written
by Giuseppe Tornatore
from a story by Luciano Vincenzoni
.
in 1940 during World War II
just as Italy
enters the war. Malena's husband, Nino Scordia, who left to join the military is presumed dead. Malena tries to cope with her loss, as the town she has moved to tries to deal with this beautiful woman who gets the attention of all the local men, including the 12-year-old Renato. However, in spite of the gossip, she continues to be faithful to her husband. Renato becomes obsessed with Malena and starts fantasizing about her.
Renato continues to watch as she suffers from grief
. Malena is shunned by the townspeople who begin to believe the worst about her, simply because of her beauty.
She visits her father, an almost deaf professor of Latin
, regularly and helps him with his chores. When a slanderous letter reaches his hands, their relationship suffers a catastrophic blow. In the meanwhile, the war worsens. The village is bombed and Malena's father is killed. The wife of the local dentist takes Malena to court, accusing her to having an affair with her husband, but Malena is acquitted. The only man Malena does have an innocent romance with, an army officer, is sent away. After her acquittal, Malena's lawyer Centorbi, using her unpaid legal fee as leverage, forces himself upon her while Renato peeps in from outside her house.
Malena's poverty finally forces her to become a prostitute. When the German
army comes to town, Malena gives herself to Germans as well. Renato sees her in the company of two German officers and faints. His mother and the older ladies think that he has been possessed and take him to church for an exorcism
. His father however takes him to a brothel; Renato has sex with one of the prostitutes while fantasizing that she is Malena.
When the war
ends, the women gather and publicly beat and humiliate Malena, who leaves for Messina. A few days later, Nino Scordia, Malena's husband, returns, to the shock of all the residents. He finds his house occupied by people displaced by the war. Renato tells him through an anonymous letter about Malena's whereabouts. Nino goes to Messina to find her. A year later, they return. The villagers, especially the women, astonished at her courage, begin to talk to "Signora Scordia" with respect. Though still beautiful, they think of her as no threat, claiming that she has wrinkles near her eyes and has put on some weight.
In the last scene near the beach, Renato helps her pick up some oranges that had dropped from her shopping bag. Afterwards he wishes her "Buona fortuna, Signora Malena" (good luck, Mrs. Malena) and rides off on his bicycle, looking back at her for a final time, as she walks away. As this final scene fades out, an adult Renato's voice-over reflects that he has not forgotten Malena, even after the passage of so many years. He says, according to the English subtitles, "Of all the girls who asked me to remember them, the only one I remembered is the one who did not ask." (the original Italian literally translates to "I have known many women who have told me, 'remember me,' and I have forgotten all of them. Still today, it's her, the only one I have never forgotten")
wrote, "Considerably scaled down in scope and size from his English-language existential
epic, "The Legend of 1900
," Giuseppe Tornatore's Malena is a beautifully crafted but slight period drama that chronicles a 13-year-old boy's obsession with a small-town siren in World War II Sicily
. Combining a coming-of-age story with the sad odyssey of a woman punished for her beauty, the film ultimately has too little depth, subtlety, thematic consequence or contemporary relevance to make it a strong contender for arthouse crossover. But its erotic elements and nostalgic evocation of the same vanished Italy that made international hits of Cinema Paradiso and Il Postino
could supply commercial leverage."
Film critic Roger Ebert
compared the film to Federico Fellini
's work, writing, "Fellini's films often involve adolescents inflamed by women who embody their carnal desires (e.g. Amarcord
and 8½
). But Fellini sees the humor that underlies sexual obsession, except (usually but not always) in the eyes of the participants. Malena is a simpler story, in which a young man grows up transfixed by a woman and essentially marries himself to the idea of her. It doesn't help that the movie's action grows steadily gloomier, leading to a public humiliation that seems wildly out of scale with what has gone before and to an ending that is intended to move us much more deeply, alas, than it can."
The film has a 55% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes
, based on reviews of 76 critics.
and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score
.
Wins
Nominations
Cinema of Italy
The history of Italian cinema began just a few months after the Lumière brothers had patented their Cinematographe, when Pope Leo XIII was filmed for a few seconds in the act of blessing the camera.-Early years:...
romantic drama film starring Monica Bellucci
Monica Bellucci
Monica Anna Maria Bellucci is an Italian actress and fashion model.-Early life:Bellucci was born in Città di Castello, Umbria, Italy as the only child of Luigi Bellucci, who was born in the British protectorate of Zanzibar, East Pakistan...
and Giuseppe Sulfaro. It was directed and written
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
by Giuseppe Tornatore
Giuseppe Tornatore
-Life and career:Born in Bagheria near Palermo, Tornatore developed an interest in acting and the theatre from at least the age of 16 and put on works by Luigi Pirandello and Eduardo De Filippo.He worked initially as a freelance photographer...
from a story by Luciano Vincenzoni
Luciano Vincenzoni
Luciano Vincenzoni is an Italian screenwriter, and one of Italy's most respected writers for film known as the "script doctor". He has written for some 65 films between 1954 and 2000.Vincenzoni was born in Treviso, Veneto...
.
Plot
The film is set in SicilySicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
in 1940 during World War II
World 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...
just as Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
enters the war. Malena's husband, Nino Scordia, who left to join the military is presumed dead. Malena tries to cope with her loss, as the town she has moved to tries to deal with this beautiful woman who gets the attention of all the local men, including the 12-year-old Renato. However, in spite of the gossip, she continues to be faithful to her husband. Renato becomes obsessed with Malena and starts fantasizing about her.
Renato continues to watch as she suffers from grief
Grief
Grief is a multi-faceted response to loss, particularly to the loss of someone or something to which a bond was formed. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, it also has physical, cognitive, behavioral, social, and philosophical dimensions...
. Malena is shunned by the townspeople who begin to believe the worst about her, simply because of her beauty.
She visits her father, an almost deaf professor of Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, regularly and helps him with his chores. When a slanderous letter reaches his hands, their relationship suffers a catastrophic blow. In the meanwhile, the war worsens. The village is bombed and Malena's father is killed. The wife of the local dentist takes Malena to court, accusing her to having an affair with her husband, but Malena is acquitted. The only man Malena does have an innocent romance with, an army officer, is sent away. After her acquittal, Malena's lawyer Centorbi, using her unpaid legal fee as leverage, forces himself upon her while Renato peeps in from outside her house.
Malena's poverty finally forces her to become a prostitute. When the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
army comes to town, Malena gives herself to Germans as well. Renato sees her in the company of two German officers and faints. His mother and the older ladies think that he has been possessed and take him to church for an exorcism
Exorcism
Exorcism is the religious practice of evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed...
. His father however takes him to a brothel; Renato has sex with one of the prostitutes while fantasizing that she is Malena.
When the war
World 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...
ends, the women gather and publicly beat and humiliate Malena, who leaves for Messina. A few days later, Nino Scordia, Malena's husband, returns, to the shock of all the residents. He finds his house occupied by people displaced by the war. Renato tells him through an anonymous letter about Malena's whereabouts. Nino goes to Messina to find her. A year later, they return. The villagers, especially the women, astonished at her courage, begin to talk to "Signora Scordia" with respect. Though still beautiful, they think of her as no threat, claiming that she has wrinkles near her eyes and has put on some weight.
In the last scene near the beach, Renato helps her pick up some oranges that had dropped from her shopping bag. Afterwards he wishes her "Buona fortuna, Signora Malena" (good luck, Mrs. Malena) and rides off on his bicycle, looking back at her for a final time, as she walks away. As this final scene fades out, an adult Renato's voice-over reflects that he has not forgotten Malena, even after the passage of so many years. He says, according to the English subtitles, "Of all the girls who asked me to remember them, the only one I remembered is the one who did not ask." (the original Italian literally translates to "I have known many women who have told me, 'remember me,' and I have forgotten all of them. Still today, it's her, the only one I have never forgotten")
Cast
- Monica BellucciMonica BellucciMonica Anna Maria Bellucci is an Italian actress and fashion model.-Early life:Bellucci was born in Città di Castello, Umbria, Italy as the only child of Luigi Bellucci, who was born in the British protectorate of Zanzibar, East Pakistan...
as Malena Scordia - Giuseppe Sulfaro as Renato Amoroso
- Luciano FedericoLuciano FedericoLuciano Federico is an Italian actor. He starred in the 1998 film, Radiofreccia.-Selected filmography:*Una piccola storia, directed by Stefano Chiantini *The Passion, directed by Mel Gibson...
as Renato's Father - Matilde Piana as Renato's Mother
- Pietro Notarianni as Professor Bonsignore
- Gaetano Aronica as Nino Scordia
- Gilberto Idonea as Avvocato Centorbi
- Angelo Pellegrino as Segretario politico
- Gabriella Di Luzio as Mantenuta del Barone
Critical reception
When first released VarietyVariety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
wrote, "Considerably scaled down in scope and size from his English-language existential
Existentialism
Existentialism is a term applied to a school of 19th- and 20th-century philosophers who, despite profound doctrinal differences, shared the belief that philosophical thinking begins with the human subject—not merely the thinking subject, but the acting, feeling, living human individual...
epic, "The Legend of 1900
The Legend of 1900
The Legend of 1900 is a 1998 film directed by the Italian filmmaker Giuseppe Tornatore, starring Tim Roth. This is Tornatore's first English-language film. The film is inspired by a theater monologue, Novecento, by Alessandro Baricco...
," Giuseppe Tornatore's Malena is a beautifully crafted but slight period drama that chronicles a 13-year-old boy's obsession with a small-town siren in World War II Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. Combining a coming-of-age story with the sad odyssey of a woman punished for her beauty, the film ultimately has too little depth, subtlety, thematic consequence or contemporary relevance to make it a strong contender for arthouse crossover. But its erotic elements and nostalgic evocation of the same vanished Italy that made international hits of Cinema Paradiso and Il Postino
Il Postino
Il Postino is a 1994 Italian film directed by Michael Radford. The film was originally released in the U.S. as The Postman, a straight translation of the Italian title...
could supply commercial leverage."
Film critic Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
compared the film to 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...
's work, writing, "Fellini's films often involve adolescents inflamed by women who embody their carnal desires (e.g. Amarcord
Amarcord
Amarcord is a 1973 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Federico Fellini, a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age tale about Titta, an adolescent boy growing up among an eccentric cast of characters in the fictional town of Borgo in 1930s Fascist Italy...
and 8½
8½
8½ is a 1963 Italian fantasy film directed by Federico Fellini. Co-scripted by Fellini, Tullio Pinelli, Ennio Flaiano, and Brunello Rondi, it stars Marcello Mastroianni as Guido Anselmi, a famous Italian film director...
). But Fellini sees the humor that underlies sexual obsession, except (usually but not always) in the eyes of the participants. Malena is a simpler story, in which a young man grows up transfixed by a woman and essentially marries himself to the idea of her. It doesn't help that the movie's action grows steadily gloomier, leading to a public humiliation that seems wildly out of scale with what has gone before and to an ending that is intended to move us much more deeply, alas, than it can."
The film has a 55% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, based on reviews of 76 critics.
Music
The soundtrack was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original ScoreAcademy Award for Original Music Score
The Academy Award for Original Score is presented to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by the submitting composer.-Superlatives:...
and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score
The Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score is one of several categories presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association , an organization of journalists who cover the United States film industry, but are affiliated with publications outside North America, since its institution in 1947...
.
Awards
- Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists - Silver Ribbon, Best ScoreNastro d'Argento Best ScoreA list of Nastro d'Argento awards for Best Score.*1947 - Renzo Rossellini - Paisà*1948 - Renzo Rossellini - I fratelli Karamàzov *1949 - Alessandro Cicognini - Ladri di biciclette...
: Ennio MorriconeEnnio MorriconeEnnio Morricone, Grand Officer OMRI, , is an Italian composer and conductor, who wrote music to more than 500 motion pictures and television series, in a career lasting over 50 years. His scores have been included in over 20 award-winning films as well as several symphonic and choral pieces...
. - Cabourg Romantic Film Festival: Golden Swann, Giuseppe Tornatore, 2001.
- David di Donatello Awards: David, Best Cinematography, Lajos Koltai. 2001.
Nominations
- Academy AwardsAcademy AwardsAn Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
: Oscar, Best CinematographyAcademy Award for Best CinematographyThe Academy Award for Best Cinematography is an Academy Award awarded each year to a cinematographer for work in one particular motion picture.-History:...
, Lajos Koltai; Best Original ScoreAcademy Award for Original Music ScoreThe Academy Award for Original Score is presented to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by the submitting composer.-Superlatives:...
, Ennio Morricone, 2001. - Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists - Silver Ribbon, Best Costume Design: Maurizio MillenottiMaurizio MillenottiMaurizio Millenotti is an Italian costume designer. He was nominated twice for the Academy Award for Costume Design: the first time for his work in Otello ; the second time for his work in Hamlet .- External links :...
; Best Editing: Massimo Quaglia; Best Production Design: Francesco Frigeri, 2001. - Golden Globes: Golden Globe, Best Foreign Language FilmGolden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language FilmThe Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the awards presented at the Golden Globes, an American film awards ceremony.Until 1986, it was known as the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film, meaning that any non-American film could be honoured...
, Italy; Best Original ScoreGolden Globe Award for Best Original ScoreThe Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score is one of several categories presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association , an organization of journalists who cover the United States film industry, but are affiliated with publications outside North America, since its institution in 1947...
- Motion Picture, Ennio Morricone; 2001. - British Academy of Film and Television ArtsBritish Academy of Film and Television ArtsThe British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
: BAFTA Film Award, Best Film not in the English LanguageBAFTA Award for Best FilmThis page lists the winners and nominees for the BAFTA Award for Best Film, BAFTA Award for Best Film not in the English Language and Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film for each year, in addition to the retired earlier versions of those awards...
, Harvey Weinstein, Carlo Bernasconi and Giuseppe Tornatore; 2001. - Berlin International Film FestivalBerlin International Film FestivalThe Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
: Golden Berlin Bear, Giuseppe Tornatore, 2001. - David di Donatello Awards: David, Best Costume Design, Maurizio Millenotti; Best Music, Ennio Morricone; Best Production Design, Francesco Frigeri; 2001.
- European Film Awards: Audience Award, Best Actress, Monica Bellucci; Best Director, Giuseppe Tornatore, 2001.
- Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards: Sierra Award, Best Foreign Film, 2001.
- Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards: PFCS Award, Best Foreign Language Film, 2001.
- Satellite AwardsSatellite AwardsThe Satellite Awards are an annual award given by the International Press Academy. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards.- Film :*Best Actor – Drama*Best Actor – Musical or Comedy*Best Actress – Drama...
: Golden Satellite Award, Best Motion Picture, Foreign Language; Best Original Score, Ennio Morricone, 2001. - Vihari Award: Best Actress for seductive role in the year 2000.
External links
- Malèna DVD review at DVD Times