Feb 28, 2004 12:55 AM
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(Updated Feb 28, 2004 02:20 AM)
109 minutes of Monica Bellucci.... my cup runneth over. The movie has been remade into English, but I saw the original Italian version(with English subtitles) and for such a simple story, the movie impresses.
The story is about Malena Scordia and how her life teaches some very valuable lessons in growing up to a young admirer of hers, Renato Amoroso. Monica Bellucci plays Malena Scordia and Renato is played by Guiseppe Sulfaro. The setting for the story is a small town in Sicily during WWII.
Malena and her husband Nino Scordia move to the town where Malena's father, Professor Bonsignore is a deaf Latin teacher in the local school. Renato belongs to a group of teenage boys who are ''in love'' with Malena and a daily ritual includes watching her from different vantage points as she goes to town.
Nino is called up for military service and soon every man in town is lusting after her. This irks the women of the town, because their husbands are not paying attention to them anymore and bitten by the green monster, they start to ''get back'' at Malena by spreading rumors questioning her loyalty to her husband and the men she has apparently seduced. This brings about a schism in her relationship with her father.
Nino is reported as killed in action and this adds to Malena's grief and loneliness. Her futile attempts at finding work force her into first depending on the kindness of people for her daily bread and later on trading sexual favors for her food. Renato sees all this, but doesn't have the courage to stand up for her or to even talk to her.
Renato's parents are very conservative and the movie has some funny moments about the pains of growing up and how adolescent ''love'' can crush a growing child, who tries to cope with the physical changes.
The Germans occupy the town and they take the most beautiful women in town for mistresses, in exchange for the good life they provide the women. Malena is forced to become the mistress of a German officer out of being unable to live in extreme poverty anymore.
A particular scene is very cruel and tragic, when the Germans leave the town after the defeat of the Axis and the women of the town drag Malena (and all of the women of the german ''harem'')to the town square, strip her and cut all of her hair off. All for the sin of being a great beauty and being a temptress without the intention to being one.
Malena leaves town and her husband (Nino) comes back, only to find his home inhabited by homeless people. The final scene where Malena returns to town with her husband is very moving and I would hate to kill the movie for anybody by relating the scene.
Monica Bellucci is impressive as Malena the quiet and dignified beauty who is seductive without even trying. Guiseppe Sulfaro is very good in his role as Renato and his expressions of anguish and pain over his(Renato's) inability to stand up for the woman he loves and admires, seem genuine.
The story is simple enough but what starts out like a teen movie, soon turns into a tragic tale and you cannot help being moved by Malena's struggle against the viciousness of jealousy and the ignorance of the small-town folk.
The first time I saw Monica Bellucci was in ''Mitici,I'' an Italian made for tv movie where she played the role of Deborah. Frankly I was impressed more by the way she carried herself, than by her looks. You can be stunningly beautiful, but elegance is not necessarily an attribute of beauty. Its not surprising that Bruce Willis insisted that she (Bellucci) play the role of the doctor in ''Tears of the sun'', it looks like the role was made for her.
At the end of the movie all I could say was ''Vince Cassell, you lucky sob....''.
