kijii This is part of my ongoing personal project to see all of David Lean's 18 directed movies. This particular film is sandwiched in between his early years with Coward, Dickens, and his wife (from 1949 to 1957), Ann Todd on the one hand, AND his five epic-type movies made from 1957-1984. Lean's story sources seemed to be heavily influenced by the traditional English values of Noel Coward and Terence Rattigan, even after the short 'kitchen sink' revolution of the late 50s to early 60s.For this movie, David Lean received his third of seven Oscar nominations for Best Director (with 2 wins) while Katherine Hepburn received her sixth of twelve nominations for Best Actress (with 4 wins—2 in consecutive years). Personally, I think that their nominations for this movie were the least worthy for both of them—nowhere near their other film projects. To me, this movie marked a demarcation for both Lean and Hepburn, separating each from better works from the past and setting the table for better movies yet to come.Though Lean had already made two Technicolor movies, neither were, technically, as colorful as this one. And none were quite as committed to 'out of the studio' camera shots as this one was. Here, the location was beautiful and vital to the movie's story. Further, when you think of the stunning 'on location' epics that Lean later made, you are glad that he ventured out to make this first one!!With Katherine Hepburn, audiences had not seen her vulnerable romantic side since Alice Adams. Here, she actually wears a dress and is as shy as she had been at the opening of The African Queen (1951) and would soon be in The Rainmaker (1956). This is a rare intimate story about a spinster secretary, Jane Hudson (Katherine Hepburn), who goes to Venice, more or less seeking a romantic adventure. When she finds it with a local Venetian shopkeeper, Renato de Rossi (Rossano Brazzi), and then discovers that he is a married; she first rejects it then accepts it for what it is worth---and for however long it can last.

Rocco Campanaro Hepburn truly shines as the strong-minded, yet stunningly gorgeous and deeply vulnerable middle-class Secretary Jane Hudson in what has been the long-awaited holiday of a lifetime. Hepburn in her sixth Oscar-nominated performance as the strong-minding and "independent" Ms Hudson finally learns why so many have fallen in love in - and with – the most romantic city in the world. Shot and recorded in beautiful Venice, this picture serves more than just a tender love story, it serves as a message for the immense possibilities and pleasures of a journey given that we work hard for it.It was a joy to see Hepburn's talents turn to romantic comedies than the usual unapproachable, cold and stern women we have seen in the pictures like Morning Glory (1933) and The Philadelphia Story (1941). Hepburn's cheeky catching on of the Italian language adds to what really is this special little picture – a touch of class and innocent love in a completely different world.In what appears to be the holiday break from hell, Hepburn's character befriends a charming homeless Italian boy who takes her across Venice to all the sites she wants to see before meeting and falling in love with the equally-as-charming and the terribly handsome Mr de Rossi. de Rossi appears to inject a different side that we typically see the great Katherine Hepburn; an innocent and free-spirited woman who simply just wants to live the memories in what is and has been a terrific holiday. The premise that the two can never be mirrors the impossibilities that were simply impractical given the time of filming, and what we should do now as modern audiences is to relinquish these beliefs and open our minds to a love that can happen between anyone – regardless of color, nationality or anything else.As the credits came in, I thought: "What was actually the climax of this film?" Is the climax when she learns of Mr de Rossi's secret life or the fact that she really has loved Venice? Or is it the train separating them further as de Rossi waves goodbye his American sweetheart. But, really, it doesn't matter - the whole point of the movie is to tell how love can happen in the most peculiar and random of places.All in all, a deeply touching picture that will leave one yearning for such a spontaneous romance to unexpectedly walk into their lives and a picture modern Hollywood should make note of. We certainly don't see movies like this anymore and it's a damn shame.

pagesrock-880-675775 Good grief, you have to wonder what planet anyone who calls this a love story -- or even a romance -- is living on. Because the middle-aged female protagonist is supposedly a virgin, we are expected to be thrilled that she falls prey to a shameless, predatory liar. "Renato" (Rosanno Brazzi), the owner of an antiques shop, hangs out in the Piazza San Marco looking for solitary women to leer at. He begins his pursuit of "Jane" (Katharine Hepburn) by lying to her about an item she is interested in buying from him, and continues his pursuit of her by lying to her in order to make her think he isn't married (which he is). A particularly nice touch is the scene in which Jane, horrified to discover that her widowed landlady has been sleeping with the husband of a new young acquaintance, is scolded by Renato for being moralistic and overly concerned with others' behavior. Wow. I guess he would say that. (Ya think?) But Jane, sensing that she must learn to appreciate this strange, new way of looking at things, takes his rebuke to heart.When Renato finds himself delayed on the way to their first big date, he sends his courteous, clean-cut son (who is also his shop assistant) to tell her that, scusi signora, the gentleman is going to be just a little late. (Apparently this has happened before; the lad seems perfectly comfortable delivering a message to a woman his father clearly intends to commit adultery with...or maybe his dad told him that he moonlights as a tour guide.) Jane gives the young man a cigarette, and in the course of their brief conversation learns (surprise!) that he is not actually Renato's nephew, and that his mother -- Renato's wife -- is fine, grazie! Now Jane is ANGRY -- even more angry than she was when she discovered Renato's previous lies (which his hypnotic gaze, velvety accent and the sheer magic of Venice caused her to forget in under 3 minutes). Our hero now really has his work cut out for him: how to convince the furious Jane that it just plain doesn't MATTER that he has no problem lying about anything and everything -- including his own flesh and blood -- in order to get a woman into bed. Well, what promises to be an uphill battle turns out to be surprisingly easy. He just harps with renewed eloquence on his favorite theme -- the jist of which is "you know you want me" -- and follows her through the streets until she falls into his arms because she just can't help herself.Sadly, it never occurred to David Lean that in addition to relentlessly filming the outside of beautiful St. Mark's Cathedral, he could actually show his heroine going INSIDE the cathedral to connect with something much better than Mr. Irresistible. But that wouldn't have been "romantic".Because movies were still expected to be at least marginally morally uplifting in those days, Lean did permit Jane to eventually come to her senses (with rather jarring suddenness -- I think he probably was annoyed that he had to end the film on a wholesome note) and get the heck out of Dodge. Smart girl. Dumb movie.

Bill Slocum Katharine Hepburn isn't the most overrated movie actress, and she certainly wasn't the worst. But she definitely could be too mannered for her own good. Witness her 1955 Oscar-nominated performance in this David Lean film.Playing a middle-aged single woman who comes to Venice in search of "mystery", and maybe a man to go with it, she pushes up her chin, clenches her teeth in an unconvincing smile, and calls everyone younger than her "cookie" to show she's hip...or something. Then when she finally meets the man (Rossano Brazzi), she can't get away from him fast enough.His line of woo is really one for the ages: "Eat the ravioli, my dear girl. You are hungry.""I'm not THAT hungry.""We're all that hungry.""Summertime" is a marvelous slide show in motion brilliantly featuring one of the world's most beautiful cities. But it never comes together as anything compelling. Lean leans on the superlative work of his cinematographer, Jack Hildyard, in lieu of story or characters.All we know about Kate's character, Jane Hudson, going in is that she's a private secretary who talks in capital letters, like: "I'm From Akron, Ohio, How Do You Do?". We know less about Brazzi's character, except that he sells possibly suspicious antiques and feels something for Jane. When they come together, we get Rossini, fireworks, and not much else other than an abrupt ending. Hey, I wasn't complaining too much. I just wanted it to be over.The secondary characters are even more from hunger. You get the McIlhennys, an American couple as pungent and unsubtle as the sauce they were no doubt named after. There's a painter, his patiently suffering wife, and a maid who sings like she should be on stage, not dusting blinds.Hildyard's brilliance nearly makes up for much. His camera-work captures a lot of amazing colors and detail, as well as a nice sense of dimensionality, like the way Jane's upper-story window looks down on the canals below. At one point, Hepburn even manages a natural line delivery of a good line: "In America, every female under 50 calls herself a girl...after, who cares?"Mostly Hepburn underlines and undermines her character's every emotion, squeezing already-overbaked dialogue too hard, like this consecutive series of lines to Brazzi: "Why did you do that? Oh, I don't think I want to see you again! I love you!" Even before the hugging and kissing starts, she makes sure you get her character's loneliness in every scene, tearing up and grimacing whenever she sees an affectionate couple pass her by on the Piazza San Marco. Lean doesn't help matters. When she meets Brazzi in his store for the first time, Lean makes sure to insert a harp glissando at the moment of their eye contact, in case you don't get the point something really big just happened.Love is a special thing. But you can gild the lily too much even in its service, and gild it even more for a big abrupt sad ending utterly wrong for the characters. Lean and Hepburn were movie legends, and justly so, but "Summertime" reminds you why they have detractors, too.