I borrowed Rossellini's "Stromboli" from the school's library. I knew I would have to play it on my Macbook not my DVD player since it came from Italy and was a region 2 DVD. I forgot the film would not have subtitles. doh! I watched it anyway. I was able to follow most of it. I had to rewind a couple scenes because I missed the quickly spoken dialogue. This move came out in the middle of the Bergman/Rossellini scandal. They were even denouced on the floor of the U.S. Senate. Times have changed. If this happened today, nobody other than the jilted spouses would care.
The film is great. Ingrid Bergman plays a war refugee from the Balkans. She marries a local Italian soldier so she can get out of the camp. He takes her to his small village on the island of Stromboli. The war is over and his fisherman work keeps him away from home. To say she doesn't fit in is an understatement. She finds the village oppressive and lonely. You do feel her for her husband as well. He loves her but doesn't understand her. She complains about his home (too small, broken down), the island, his family, his neighbors. It's as if she traded one prison for another.
The ending is vague. You don't really know what became of her.
7 comments:
You have the right attitude for your Italian course. If you have a passion for the language, you will learn it!
Now I feel like going out and renting Stromboli. Foreign woman marries an Italian and feels like a prisoner in her own home... hmmm... sounds eerily familiar ;)
But seriously, I've seen Roma Città Aperta and it would be interesting to see more Rossellini. You should check out Isabella's autobiography "Some of Me" for some juicy family gossip.
Linda
i'll have to put that on my movie list...probably can find it here at the library.
I think I'll have to look that one up, too. I love both Bergman and Rossellini
Thanks for the movie rec! Wonder if I can get it here?!?
Linda - that is funny. I remember when Isabella's book came out. I will have to add it to my list.
erin - In Italy...is should be no problem.
jen - def. check it out since you are a fan of both.
cherrye - hmmm it's one of Rossellini's more accessible and well known films. I would hope that any well stocked DVD rental place in Italy would have it. The Blockbuster down the street from me has the worst foreign movie section which is why I signed up for Netflix.
Have you seen Cinema Paridiso an oldie but a goodie!
Once your in Italy l think you will be surprised how much you actually know. Infuse yourself in the language and it will only get better.
confession - Yes I own the DVD. It's one of my favorite movies.
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