Le Amiche ([le aˈmiːke], Template:Lang-en) is a 1955 Italian black-and-white drama film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and starring Eleonora Rossi Drago, Gabriele Ferzetti, Franco Fabrizi, and Valentina Cortese. Adapted from Cesare Pavese's novel Tra donne sole (1949), the film is about a young woman who returns to her native Turin to set up a new fashion salon and becomes involved with a troubled woman and her three wealthy friends.[1] The film was shot on location in Turin, Piemonte, Italy.[2] Le Amiche received the Venice Film Festival's Silver Lion award in 1955, and the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists Silver Ribbon Award for Best Director (Michelangelo Antonioni) and Best Supporting Actress (Valentina Cortese).[3]
| Le Amiche | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Michelangelo Antonioni |
| Written by |
|
| Based on | Tra donne sole by Cesare Pavese |
| Produced by | Giovanni Addessi |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Gianni Di Venanzo |
| Edited by | Eraldo Da Roma |
| Music by | Giovanni Fusco |
| Distributed by | Titanus |
Release date |
|
Running time | 104 minutes |
| Country | Italy |
| Language | Italian |
Plot
This article needs an improved plot summary. (November 2015) |
Returning to her native Turin for the opening of a branch of a Rome fashion salon, the elegant Clelia (Eleonora Rossi Drago) discovers a young woman named Rosetta Savoni (Madeleine Fischer) near death in the next room of her hotel. Rosetta took an overdose of sleeping pills trying to commit suicide. Clelia, who is alone in her hometown, befriends Rosetta and her three wealthy friends. Momina De Stefani (Yvonne Furneaux) is separated from her husband and easily replaces lovers. Nene (Valentina Cortese) is a talented artist becoming successful in her career; she lives with a frustrated painter named Lorenzo (Gabriele Ferzetti) who envies his wife's success. Mariella (Anna Maria Pancani) is futile. Clelia is attracted by Carlo (Ettore Manni), the assistant of the salon's architect, Cesare Pedoni (Franco Fabrizi), but he belongs to the working class living in a different social reality. When Momina and Clelia discover that Rosetta tried to commit suicide because she fell in love with Lorenzo, the cynical Momina encourages Rosetta to stay with him, although he and Nene were supposed to marry soon. This advice leads to tragedy.
Cast
- Eleonora Rossi Drago as Clelia
- Gabriele Ferzetti as Lorenzo
- Franco Fabrizi as Cesare Pedoni, the architect
- Valentina Cortese as Nene
- Yvonne Furneaux as Momina De Stefani
- Madeleine Fischer as Rosetta Savoni
- Anna Maria Pancani as Mariella
- Luciano Volpato as Tony
- Maria Gambarelli as Clelia's employer
- Ettore Manni as Carlo[4]
Production
The script for Le Amiche was adapted from a novel by Cesare Pavese. It is one of the few adaptations Antonioni directed, the others being Blowup (based on a short story by Julio Cortázar); The Mystery of Oberwald (adapted from Jean Cocteau's play L'Aigle à deux têtes, which Cocteau had previously adapted to film); and his final feature, Beyond the Clouds (1995), based on a book of his own short stories. Antonioni wrote the screenplay in collaboration with Suso Cecchi d'Amico and Alba De Cespedes.
The film was shot on location in Turin through the Trionfalcine production company and distributed in Italy through Titanus.[2]
Awards and nominations
- 1955 Venice Film Festival Silver Lion Award (Michelangelo Antonioni) – Won
- 1955 Venice Film Festival Golden Lion Award Nomination (Michelangelo Antonioni)
- 1956 Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists Silver Ribbon Award for Best Director (Michelangelo Antonioni) – Won
- 1956 Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists Silver Ribbon Award for Best Supporting Actress (Valentina Cortese) – Won[3]
References
- ^ "Le amiche". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
- ^ a b "Locations for Le amiche". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
- ^ a b "Awards for Le amiche". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
- ^ "Full cast and crew for Le amiche". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
External links
- Le Amiche at IMDb
- Review at the New York Times
- Le Amiche: Friends—Italian Style an essay by Tony Pipolo at the Criterion Collection