Film critics from the British Film Institute have compiled a list of ten films from different years that show Rome in the most detail. The selection includes paintings from the last 60 years.
Three Coins in a Fountain (1954) Jean Negulesco
Three American women work in Rome. One has long been in love with her boss, a sweet-tongued writer who, in response, “doesn’t give a damn.” Another, breaking strict rules, has an affair with an Italian. The third, new girl, meets a real prince and literally loses her head. Each of them hopes to find happiness in Rome, they throw coins into the Trevi Fountain, and… as Sinatra sings in the film – three coins in the fountain, each for good luck, but who will be lucky?
Eclipse (1962) Michelangelo Antonioni
Vittoria flows through life from one circumstance to another: a man – a friend – another man – a neighbor… Departures – arrivals – meetings – stories… All this is like clouds floating across the sky: one minute they are there, and a moment later they are no longer there. Nothing special, accentuated. Life is lived. Actual dance: water in a vat, wood chips on dry ground, an eclipse…
Mama Roma (1962) Pier Paolo Pasolini
This is the story of a mother “through whose hands society kills her own son.”
The film is based on the personal dramatic experiences of the film director, who arrived in Rome from his native province of Friuli. In the eternal city, he was struck not by the majestic beauty of the ancient center, but by the cruel morals of the inhabitants of the outskirts, in which the action of the film develops. The main character was a prostitute nicknamed “Mama Roma.”
Boom (1963) Vittorio De Sica
Comedy about the 1960s. During these years, people in Italy dreamed of getting rich as quickly as possible. Alberto Sordi plays the role of a pseudo-businessman who satisfies his wife’s desire for luxury and a “decent life” and falls into large debts. In desperation, he agrees to sell a precious part of his body for a large sum of money. But before the operation, he panics.
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1969) Dario Argento
A maniac and his black deeds appear in the ancient and defenseless city of Rome, and there is no mercy for lonely women if they do not have a companion at this late hour who can defend not only their honor, but also their lives. One day, a bored American writer was wandering through Rome at night. And so he becomes an accidental witness to a brutal crime in an art gallery – the owner’s wife was injured…
Rome (1972) Federico Fellini
An impressionistic ode to his past, present and future in the form of an enchanting fantasy without any plot. The carnival riot of life in its various manifestations, noticed by the keen eye of the Artist, who brings his own memories and experiences into the overall chaotic picture.
Belly of an Architect (1987) Peter Greenaway
An American architect arrives with his wife Louise in Rome to prepare an exhibition dedicated to the already forgotten French architect Bullet. He had been waiting for this event for 10 years. And so, comparing his life with Bulle’s biography, he asks himself: is his pregnant wife having an affair with a young suitor? does his wife want to poison him? and does he have stomach cancer?
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) Anthony Minghella
Tom Ripley knew that sooner or later he would make his way to the top. One day, after a chance acquaintance, one of the richest people in America gives Tom an assignment to go to Italy and convince his son, who is wasting money in Europe, to return to the States… Soon Tom meets Dickie Greenleaf and Marge. Their luxurious life fascinates Tom. And later circumstances develop in such a way that he decides to take Dickie’s place.
Il divo (2008) Paolo Sorrentino
The story is about the legendary Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti, who served in this place for either six or seven terms. He is famous for his sense of humor and either his connections with the mafia, or, conversely, for the fact that the mafia took up arms against him. Various deaths, ghosts, intrigue, aggressive editing and an even more aggressive soundtrack, and in the middle of all this – a funny little man, almost emotionless.
Gianni and the Women (2011) Giovanni Di Gregorio
Already over sixty, but still strong, Gianni is an ordinary man, calm and kind in character. One day his friend Alfonso informs him that all his friends in the neighborhood, including those older than him, have at least one mistress. Shocked by this discovery, Gianni takes action, but everything turns out to be not as simple as it seemed.