Top 10 Italian Movies

Ladri di biciclette (1948) di Vittorio De Sica con Lamberto Maggiorani e Sergio Leone.

Antonio Ricci lives in Rome during the post war period in 60’. He finds a job in which he has to attach posters and it is necessary a bike. He had already one but he gave it as collateral because he is poor. His wife Maria ransoms the bike, so his husband can work. During the first day of work, the bike is stolen and Antonio tries to find it but in vain. So he decides to stole a bike but he is busted by police. They don’t arrested him thanks to the cry of Antonio’s child.

La dolce vita (1960) di Federico Fellini con Marcello Mastroianni e Anita Ekberg.

It offrers a portrait of Italy during the ’60. The journalist Marcello Rubini investigates about worldly roman life with his friend Paparazzo. Marcello lives with Emma, a girl who wants to kill herself because of depression and irritability. Despite Marcello is engaged, he has a love affair with Sylvia, a famous foreign actress who goes to Rome. About this film, it is famous the scene of Fontana di Trevi in which Sylvia screams: “Marcello, come here!”

Divorzio all'italiana (1961) di Pietro Germi con Stefania Sandrelli e Marcello Mastroianni.

The story is about the life of Ferdinando who loves Angela but he is married with the intolerable Rosalia. He organises a trap to incriminate his wife thanks to the return of a her old flame. When Rosalia will cheat Ferdinando, he is justified to kill her. So Ferdinando goes to jail for killing his wife. After the jail, he marries Angela. It is famous the last scene in which Angela is kissing Ferdinando but at the same time she is playing fotsie to the seaman of the ship.

Il buono, il brutto e il cattivo (1966) di Sergio Leone con Clint Eastwood.

It is one of the most famous spaghetti western movie. During the American Civil War, there are three main protagonists in which coexist beauty, ugliness and humanity. The purpose of the director is to condamn the insanity of war and the history of USA. It is also famous the scene of Mexican standoff and Ennio Morricone’s soundtrack.

Profondo Rosso (1975) di Dario Argento con David Hemmings e Daria Nicolodi.

It is a film which represents a fundamental passage of professional director’s life from thriller movies to horror ones. The well known soundtrack was composed and performed by a rock progressive band called Globin. Initially, Dario Argento asked to Pink Floyd to compose the soundtrack but they declined his offering because they were creating “Wish You Were Here” album.

Non ci resta che piangere (1984) di Roberto Benigni e Massimo Troisi.

It is set in Tuscany countrysides during 1984 where two friends, Mario and Saverio, are waiting with their car at railroad crossing. Just trying to pass the time, the two friends talks about their life but the waiting is so long. So they decide to drive through the countryside but the car breaks down. They find an accomodation in a inn but the next morning they recognised that they had a sort of time travel and they were in 1500 and not in 1984.

C'era una volta in America (1984) di Sergio Leone con Robert De Niro e James Woods.

It is taken from a novel. It talks about the criminal David “Noodles” Aaronson and his friends who move from the Jewish ghetto to New York in order to enjoy its criminal life during the prohibitionism and post-prohibitionism. The plot follows three times of protagonist's life: adolescence, adult time and old age. It is so famous the scene in which Noodles is high in in the opium den and smiles. The soundtrack is by Ennio Morricone.

Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (1988) di Giuseppe Tornatore.

Salvatore is the main protagonist: he left Sicily and he lives in Roma in order to work as movie director. A day he found out that his sicilian friend, Alfredo, is died and this news brings Salvatore at his childhood when he was in Sicily. In his village, the only entertainment was a cinema given by don Adelfio, the priest of the village, and in which a old man called Alfredo works. This movie is famous for the soundtrack composed by Ennio Morricone.

La vita è bella (1997) di Roberto Benigni.

This movie won three Oscar awards for main protagonist, best foreign Language film and Best soundtrack. the film is about the story of Guido, Dora and Giosuè during the historical period of fascism and of the deportation of Jews. Guido is jewish and he has to go to concentration camps with his son Giosuè. The best scene is when Benigni/Guido translates to his son the speech of the German soldier at concentration camp.

La grande bellezza (2013) di Paolo Sorrentino con Toni Servillo.

Jep Gambardella is a journalist and theatral critic who partecipates at parties and events of Rome. Jep has written one book but he is too lazy to write another one and he has writer’s block. Jep has a bad new: his real love but ex girlfriend, Elisa, is dead. So, Jep starts a long meditation about his life, his 65 birthday and about the life in high society. The film is famous for the scene in which Jep is dancing with a cigarette in his mouth.