Divorce Italian Style **** (1961, Marcello Mastroianni, Daniela Rocca, Stefania Sandrelli) – Classic Movie Review 8686

Packed with comic passion, Pietro Germi’s thoroughly entertaining 1961 Italian commedia nera [black comedy] film Divorce Italian Style [Divorzio all’Italiana] stars the indispensable Marcello Mastroianni as a poverty-stricken Sicilian aristocrat, Baron Ferdinando Cefalù, who wants to be rid of his genial though shrewish wife Rosalia (Daniela Rocca) so that he can marry his lovely cousin, the sumptuous Angela (Stefania Sandrelli).

With divorce illegal in Italy, he hatches a plot to have Rosalia (Rocca) killed by a lover, but of course, this is Italy and the movies and so complications are just around the corner.

The movie motors on a spot-on screenplay that won a deserved Oscar for Best Story and Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (by Ennio De Concini, Pietro Germi and Alfredo Giannetti, with deserved nominations going to Best Director Germi and the twinkly Best Actor in a Leading Role Mastroianni. At the 1963 Golden Globes, Mastroianni won for Best Actor – Comedy or Musical and the film won Best Foreign Film. At the 1964 BAFTA Film Awards, Mastroianni won for Best Foreign Actor. At the 1962 Cannes Film Festival, the film won Best Comedy.

A real feel for the spirit of Italy plus lashings of irony and humour add up to a true Italian treat in which the performances are ideal throughout.

Mastroianni was the first actor nominated for a foreign language performance.

Also in the cast are Leopoldo Trieste, Margherita Girelli, Odoardo Spadaro, Angela Cardile, Lando Buzzanca, Pietro Tordi, Ugo Torrente, Antonio Acqua and Bianca Castagnetta.

Divorce Italian Style [Divorzio all’Italiana] is directed by Pietro Germi, runs 108 minutes, is made by Lux Film, Vides Cinematografica, Galatea Film, is released by Lux Film (1961) (Italy), Embassy Pictures (1962) (US) (subtitled)  and Twentieth Century Fox Film Company (1963) (UK) (subtitled) , is written by Ennio De Concini (story and screenplay), Pietro Germi (story and screenplay), Alfredo Giannetti (story and screenplay) and Agenore Incrocci (screenplay, uncredited), is shot in black and white by Leonida Barboni and Carlo Di Palma, is produced by Franco Cristaldi and is scored by Carlo Rustichelli, with Production Design by Carlo Egidi.

It was shot in the studio at De Paolis Studios, Rome, and on location in Sicily.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8686

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