writers_reign At twenty-five Sophia Loren was not supposed to be an Actress, she was supposed to be another Sylvano Mangano (another 'sex symbol' who turned out to be a fine actress) or Anita Ekberg but lo and behold she unleashes a powerful, moving and ultimately Oscar-winning performance, the first ever Best Actress gong for an actress in a foreign film (Simone Signoret beat her to it by a couple of years but she was a French actress appearing in a British film). Although she is playing down her sultry siren image both her beauty and sensuality shine through her 'ordinary' housewife persona and if anything her towering performance tends to unbalance a mostly ho-hum cast with, of course, the exception of Eleanora Brown playing her daughter. There's not a lot that's new or that CAN be new about the 'war is hell' story but nevertheless Loren keeps us engrossed.

Robert J. Maxwell This is Vittorio De Sica's last great movie. And it really is good.Sophia Loren and her angelic twelve-year-old daughter, Eleanora Brown, run a small shop in Rome during the German occupation. A nearby explosion from an Allied bomb turns the place into a shambles and Loren decides to take her daughter and live with distant relatives in a small country town.Life isn't a bed of roses there either, but it's better than Rome, with only the occasional handful of retreating German soldiers to deal with. The Germans are not shown as simply evil monsters. Earlier, before the deposing of Mussolini, a train load of soldiers is seen cheerfully whistling at Loren and chanting a song, just as any soldiers would do. Later, when the road is rougher, the Germans become more determined and forceful, again as most soldiers would, since their lives are at stake.Then the Allies liberate southern Italy and the pressure on the citizens if relieved. The refugees in the small town, bid one another good-bye and leave. Loren and Brown begin their trek back to Rome to rebuild the store, but it's not as easy as it seems. The Americans whistle at Loren too. Who wouldn't? She's stunningly beautiful. She has the large expressive eyes of a lovable but wary cow. And her big boobs wobble with every movement she makes. The Moroccans who are fighting alongside the Americans are even more demonstrative -- too much so. They trap Loren and her daughter in a wrecked, abandoned church and gang rape both of them in a scene that will chill any viewer down to the bone.As inured to harsh treatment as she is, Loren recovers consciousness and rushes to her daughter, sobbing and trying to wipe away the virginal blood from Brown's thighs. They continue trying to reach Rome, their pleas ignored by Americans who think Loren is crazy. It's impossible to know what is happening in Eleanora Brown's mind. She stares into space and barely speaks. Yet, when they're picked up by a loud and affable truck driver, Brown begins to flirt with him.During this scene, the camera is aimed through open the window on the passenger's side, where Loren is sitting, slumping with fatigue. Her head sags against the door in a close up and we can see every crack and wrinkle on her lips, and the tears forming behind her heavy lids. It's a tragic moment. Loren pulls it off and De Sica gets it on film. She gives a marvelous performance. She won an Oscar for it, not that it matters.What a splendid movie. When it was finished, after the necessary cathartic moment, I found myself thinking not only of Italian refugees but of all refugees of all wars. You're not likely to forget it quickly.

whpratt1 This is a story about a mother and her daughter who are trying to keep alive during WW II and and meet up with one problem after another. The mother is Cesira, (Sophia Loren) and her daughter is Rosetta, (Eleonora Brown). Cesira lost her husband in the war and these two women have to manage on their own and face the everyday perils of war and men of war coming and going through their county side. Unfortunately, these two women are attacked by a group of men who gang rape them both which destroys their outlook on life and the fear of men in general. Cesira is very protective of her Rosetta as she is only thirteen years of age and was a virgin and horribly violated and had her first sex experience turn into a nightmare. It is not long after the rape that the mother and daughter are picked up by a truck driver who becomes friendly with the daughter and another serious matter develops. Great film, but very upsetting to view.

tooter-ted I gave this film 9/10 while understanding its weaknesses. First, as others note, the print is the worst I've ever encountered sometimes turning faces into gray pudding, but the problem was not so great to keep me from responding fully to the film's power, and I decided to evaluate the film rather than the print. I have more serious concerns about events at the film's climax which raise issues which are resolved too quickly. In fact these issues might be the subject of a whole new film, and if treated here they would require another hour of play time. The films hasty resolution of these issues makes important behaviors seem poorly motivated and unbelievable. However, the issues in question are not the central issues of the movie. When Cesira apologizes to her daughter (and at other points) I was left sobbing in spite of the film's failure to properly address the daughter's final trauma. This is not a about recovering from trauma. Rather, it is a film about human fallibility and self-deception or, as Michele puts it, "You can't escape, not even from yourself." Cesira faults others while never examining her own behavior. Like those around her, she acts only to preserve her own immediate interests. At the other extreme. Michele's idealism prevents him from realizing his own humanity. Only Rosetta demonstrates the purity to see beyond self-interest, and the instinct to truly tell right from wrong. Her downfall is the tragedy of the film. Yet through all of this the film shows us how, when pushed to extremes, these people are capable of forging deep human bonds. Such bonds have the power to redeem all as they finally redeem Rosetta. I can't conclude without adding my own appreciation for Sophia Loren's extraordinary performance.