Marriage Italian Style


1h 42m 1964
Marriage Italian Style

Brief Synopsis

A businessman's discarded mistress refuses to tell him which of her three sons is his.

Film Details

Also Known As
Mariage à l'italienne, Matrimonia all'italiana
Genre
Comedy
Adaptation
Drama
Foreign
Romance
Release Date
Jan 1964
Premiere Information
New York opening: 20 Dec 1964
Production Company
C. C. Champion; Les Films Concordia
Distribution Company
Embassy Pictures
Country
France
Location
Naples, Italy
Screenplay Information
Based on the play Filumena Marturano by Eduardo De Filippo (Naples, 7 Nov 1946).

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 42m
Sound
Mono
Color
Color (Eastmancolor)

Synopsis

Filomena Marturano meets Domenico Soriano in a Neapolitan brothel in 1943 when she is 17. She meets him again after the war, and, after a suitable courtship, he moves her into her own apartment as his exclusive mistress and, later, into his family house. For years Filomena manages Domenico's pastry shop, runs his household, and cares for his senile mother, until the woman's death. Learning that Domenico plans to marry a young girl, Filomena pretends to be dying, and Domenico, believing her, weds her. When he learns that he has been tricked, he has the marriage annulled. Filomena then informs him that her purpose was to legalize her three sons, whose existence Domenico has not suspected (she has them in foster homes). She also reveals that one is Domenico's but refuses to say which. Domenico becomes obsessed with the identification of his son and threatens Filomena to no avail until finally, after a battle with her that ends in love-making, he realizes that he loves her. In the presence of the three boys, Filomena and Domenico are married again, and after the ceremony each of the boys addresses Domenico as "Papa." He still does not know, however, which is his own.

Film Details

Also Known As
Mariage à l'italienne, Matrimonia all'italiana
Genre
Comedy
Adaptation
Drama
Foreign
Romance
Release Date
Jan 1964
Premiere Information
New York opening: 20 Dec 1964
Production Company
C. C. Champion; Les Films Concordia
Distribution Company
Embassy Pictures
Country
France
Location
Naples, Italy
Screenplay Information
Based on the play Filumena Marturano by Eduardo De Filippo (Naples, 7 Nov 1946).

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 42m
Sound
Mono
Color
Color (Eastmancolor)

Award Nominations

Best Actress

1964
Sophia Loren

Best Foreign Language Film

1964

Articles

Marriage Italian Style - Marriage--Italian Style


There's a moment in Vittorio De Sica's Marriage, Italian Style when Sophia Loren walks out of an alley and down a street to meet up with Marcello Mastroianni. On the way a little boy walks by in the opposite direction and Loren playfully backs up and does a little faux march alongside the boy before continuing on her path. It was an unscripted moment that defines the beauty, spontaneity, and genius of Sophia Loren. When she strode past that boy, she was "into the character" as much as any method actor one might mention in a more serious tone. Sophia was playing a character in love, with her man and with life, and it came through in that little march. It's easy to understand how Marcello could fall in love with her and even easier to understand how audiences did from the start.

Although Vittorio De Sica became known around the world for his seminal works in Italian neo-realism with Shoeshine and Bicycle Thieves, he was quite adept at directing lighthearted fare as well and Marriage, Italian Style, coming on the heels of his Oscar winning comedy, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow, proved again what a deft hand he had with romantic comedy. The story of businessman Domenico (Mastroianni) and his on again/off again romance with Filumena (Loren) is one of deception and love, with a surprisingly touching and heartfelt ending. The internationally renowned beauty and charisma of Mastroianni and Loren guaranteed the film would be a hit no matter what language market it played in, and so it was.

The producer of the film, Sophia Loren's husband, Carlo Ponti, had worked with both De Sica and Loren for years and their most notable effort together, Two Women, won Loren an Oscar for Best Actress. It was the first, and for years the only, Oscar ever awarded for a non-English speaking role. Marriage, Italian Style brought Loren her second Oscar nomination, again for a non-English speaking role. With an Oscar and box office success even in foreign markets, Sophia Loren was making movies in both Italian and English with stars ranging from Cary Grant and Charlton Heston to Peter Sellers and Marlon Brando. But with no other costar did she ever have better chemistry than Marcello Mastroiannni.

Marcello Mastroianni came to international attention as the stand-in for Federico Fellini's id in both La Dolce Vita and 8 ½ but it was non-Fellini films that earned him his three Oscar nominations for Best Actor, including his first nomination for a comedy with a curiously similar title to this one, Divorce, Italian Style, and no, the two film plots are not related. Mastroianni did great work with every costar he ever had but his work with Loren was special. In both Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow and Marriage, Italian Style, there is a chemistry unlike any other Mastroiannia ever enjoyed on the screen with another actress. His scenes with Loren here, especially during the climax, have a touching warmth to them, even if his character is a little bewildered by what just happened.

Vittoria De Sica would have great success throughout the sixties, something he needed thanks to a gambling habit that kept losing him money. He wasn't embarrassed about it and never felt ashamed. He loved gambling. He just wished he could have won a little more often. Nonetheless, he kept putting out one hit after another and his films weren't just popular with audiences but with critics and award societies as well. No less than four of De Sica's films were honored with Academy Awards and many others, including Marriage, Italian Style, were nominated.

Marriage, Italian Style was adapted from the 1946 play Filumena Marturano , written by by Eduardo De Filippo. De Filippo acted as well and indeed had worked with De Sica before, starring in his 1954 anthology film, The Gold of Naples, which was also produced by Carlo Ponti and also starred Sophia Loren.

De Sica, Loren, and Mastroianni continued to succeed at the box office and with the critics for years to come. They even worked together again, most notably with Sunflower in 1970, but they never achieved the kind of success they did with the two comedies, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow and Marriage, Italian Style. Those two remain the one-two punch of the trio that took them all the way to the top. Maybe they never got up there again, but looking back must have felt pretty sweet and movie audiences will always have these classic works to return to again and again.

By Greg Ferrara

Marriage Italian Style - Marriage--Italian Style

Marriage Italian Style - Marriage--Italian Style

There's a moment in Vittorio De Sica's Marriage, Italian Style when Sophia Loren walks out of an alley and down a street to meet up with Marcello Mastroianni. On the way a little boy walks by in the opposite direction and Loren playfully backs up and does a little faux march alongside the boy before continuing on her path. It was an unscripted moment that defines the beauty, spontaneity, and genius of Sophia Loren. When she strode past that boy, she was "into the character" as much as any method actor one might mention in a more serious tone. Sophia was playing a character in love, with her man and with life, and it came through in that little march. It's easy to understand how Marcello could fall in love with her and even easier to understand how audiences did from the start. Although Vittorio De Sica became known around the world for his seminal works in Italian neo-realism with Shoeshine and Bicycle Thieves, he was quite adept at directing lighthearted fare as well and Marriage, Italian Style, coming on the heels of his Oscar winning comedy, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow, proved again what a deft hand he had with romantic comedy. The story of businessman Domenico (Mastroianni) and his on again/off again romance with Filumena (Loren) is one of deception and love, with a surprisingly touching and heartfelt ending. The internationally renowned beauty and charisma of Mastroianni and Loren guaranteed the film would be a hit no matter what language market it played in, and so it was. The producer of the film, Sophia Loren's husband, Carlo Ponti, had worked with both De Sica and Loren for years and their most notable effort together, Two Women, won Loren an Oscar for Best Actress. It was the first, and for years the only, Oscar ever awarded for a non-English speaking role. Marriage, Italian Style brought Loren her second Oscar nomination, again for a non-English speaking role. With an Oscar and box office success even in foreign markets, Sophia Loren was making movies in both Italian and English with stars ranging from Cary Grant and Charlton Heston to Peter Sellers and Marlon Brando. But with no other costar did she ever have better chemistry than Marcello Mastroiannni. Marcello Mastroianni came to international attention as the stand-in for Federico Fellini's id in both La Dolce Vita and 8 ½ but it was non-Fellini films that earned him his three Oscar nominations for Best Actor, including his first nomination for a comedy with a curiously similar title to this one, Divorce, Italian Style, and no, the two film plots are not related. Mastroianni did great work with every costar he ever had but his work with Loren was special. In both Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow and Marriage, Italian Style, there is a chemistry unlike any other Mastroiannia ever enjoyed on the screen with another actress. His scenes with Loren here, especially during the climax, have a touching warmth to them, even if his character is a little bewildered by what just happened. Vittoria De Sica would have great success throughout the sixties, something he needed thanks to a gambling habit that kept losing him money. He wasn't embarrassed about it and never felt ashamed. He loved gambling. He just wished he could have won a little more often. Nonetheless, he kept putting out one hit after another and his films weren't just popular with audiences but with critics and award societies as well. No less than four of De Sica's films were honored with Academy Awards and many others, including Marriage, Italian Style, were nominated. Marriage, Italian Style was adapted from the 1946 play Filumena Marturano , written by by Eduardo De Filippo. De Filippo acted as well and indeed had worked with De Sica before, starring in his 1954 anthology film, The Gold of Naples, which was also produced by Carlo Ponti and also starred Sophia Loren. De Sica, Loren, and Mastroianni continued to succeed at the box office and with the critics for years to come. They even worked together again, most notably with Sunflower in 1970, but they never achieved the kind of success they did with the two comedies, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow and Marriage, Italian Style. Those two remain the one-two punch of the trio that took them all the way to the top. Maybe they never got up there again, but looking back must have felt pretty sweet and movie audiences will always have these classic works to return to again and again. By Greg Ferrara

Quotes

Trivia

Notes

Location scenes filmed in Naples. Opened in Rome in December 1964 as Matrimonia all'italiana; in Paris in December 1964 as Mariage à l'italienne; running time: 100 min.

Miscellaneous Notes

Voted One of the Year's Ten Best Films by the 1964 New York Times Film Critics.

Released in United States 2014

Released in United States 2014 (Tribute)

Released in United States Winter December 20, 1964

Released in United States Winter December 20, 1964