Journey to Italy (1954)
"Viaggio in Italia" (original title)

Catherine and Alexander, wealthy and sophisticated, drive to Naples to dispose of a deceased uncle's villa. There's a coolness in their relationship and aspects of Naples add to the strain.... See full summary »

Director:

Roberto Rossellini

Writers:

Vitaliano Brancati (story), Roberto Rossellini (story),

Stars:

Ingrid Bergman, George Sanders, Maria Mauban

1 win.

Cast

Credited cast:
Ingrid Bergman	...	Katherine Joyce
George Sanders	...	Alexander 'Alex' Joyce (as Georges Sanders)
Maria Mauban	...	Marie (as Marie Mauban)
Anna Proclemer	...	La prostituta
Paul Muller	...	Paul Dupont
Leslie Daniels	...	Tony Burton
Natalia Ray	...	Natalie Burton (as Natalia Rai)
Jackie Frost	...	Betty
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
María Martín

Storyline

Catherine and Alexander, wealthy and sophisticated, drive to Naples to dispose of a deceased uncle's villa. There's a coolness in their relationship and aspects of Naples add to the strain. She remembers a poet who loved her and died in the war; although she didn't love him, the memory underscores romance's absence from her life now. She tours the museums of Naples and Pompeii, immersing herself in the Neapolitan fascination with the dead and noticing how many women are pregnant; he idles on Capri, flirting with women but drawing back from adultery. With her, he's sarcastic; with him, she's critical. They talk of divorce. Will this foreign couple find insight and direction in Italy?

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Plot Keywords:

pompeii | museum | villa | italy | loneliness | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Italy France

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

7 September 1954 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Strangers

Filming Locations:

Naples, Campania, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Italia Film, Junior Film, Sveva Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

[first lines]
Alexander 'Alex' Joyce: Where are we?
Katherine Joyce: Oh, I don't know exactly.

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Connections

Featured in Broken Embraces (2009)

User Reviews

Searching for love in a marriage.

This movie is being an example of some simplistic but beautiful and effective film-making. It doesn't follow a big story in which a big conflict suddenly arises or something needs to get solved or found but it's simply a movie about a, somewhat elderly British(?) couple, on holiday in Italy, who suddenly start to realize that they have never really loved each other.

It's a movie that works because of how well done and beautifully it all got done. It obviously helps that the movie is being set in Italy and features some of the famous landmarks, in and around Napels. The movie focus a lot on the culture and history, since the movie is seen through the eyes of our two main characters, that are tourists and new to the country. There is always something happening in the movie, even though it really doesn't follow a that complicated or thick storyline. It's a movie that prefers realism and is basically a random slice of life and about marriage, that of course is not always anything romantic or love filled. Suddenly they start to learn more about each other and about themselves, which makes them realize that they are perhaps not meant to be together. Doesn't sound that interesting perhaps but the way the story gets told simply makes this a great one to watch, that also never bores. Granted that it's also a quite short movie.

The movie also works well because the characters in it are being realistic and they interacting convincingly with each other. Both George Sanders and Ingrid Bergman gave some fine performances in this movie and were a convincing screen couple, who's marriage has worn out.

It's also a movie that benefits from the fact that it got done in black & white. For some reason I think this movie would had been way more cheesy had it been shot in full color. Instead now the movie has some real class and beauty to it as well.

Despite that it's a movie set in Italy and also an Italian produced movie, with an Italian title, it's still an mostly English spoken film. At least the two main characters speak Italian throughout. So those who normally won't come near a 'foreign' film can also easily watch this one, if you pick up the right, original, version of it of course.

Simply one fine little, well done, effective movie, by Italian director Roberto Rossellini.

8/10

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