Le Amiche (1955) Le amiche (original title)

Director:

Michelangelo Antonioni

Writers:

Cesare Pavese (novel)
Michelangelo Antonioni (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

18 November 1955 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

Clelia comes from Rome to her native Turin, to set up a new fashion salon. On her first night, the woman in the next room of her hotel takes an overdose of pills. Clelia becomes involved with this woman, Rosetta, and three of her rich women friends, Momina, Nene, and Mariella. Momina is older than the others, and lives apart from her husband. Her current lover is Cesare, the architect of Clelia's salon. Nene is a talented ceramics artist, and lives with her fiance, the painter Lorenzo. Mariella is a flighty woman only interested in having a good time. Clelia becomes attached to Carlo, the architect's assistant, but the other women look down on him as he comes from a working class background. Momina, with the help of Clelia, discovers that Rosetta fell in love with Lorenzo as he was painting her portrait. Momina then encourages Rosetta to go after Lorenzo, even though he and Nene were supposed to marry soon.

Plot Keywords:

Hotel | Fashion Salon | Artist | Suicide | Turin Italy

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Eleonora Rossi Drago	...	Clelia
Gabriele Ferzetti	...	Lorenzo
Franco Fabrizi	...	Cesare Pedoni, the architect
Valentina Cortese	...	Nene
Yvonne Furneaux	...	Momina De Stefani
Madeleine Fischer	...	Rosetta Savoni
Anna Maria Pancani	...	Mariella
Luciano Volpato	...	Tony
Maria Gambarelli	...	Clelia's employer
Ettore Manni	...	Carlo
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marcella Ferri
Alessandro Fersen	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Michelangelo Antonioni

Writing credits
Cesare Pavese		(novel "Tra donne sole")
Michelangelo Antonioni		(screenplay) &
Suso Cecchi D'Amico		(screenplay) &
Alba De Cespedes		(screenplay)

Produced by
Giovanni Addessi	....	producer

Original Music by
Giovanni Fusco

Cinematography by
Gianni Di Venanzo

Film Editing by
Eraldo Da Roma

Production Design by
Gianni Polidori

Set Decoration by
Gianni Polidori

Costume Design by
Enzo Bulgarelli

Makeup Department
Gabriella Borzelli	....	hair stylist
Anna Cristofani	....	hair stylist
Giovanni Donelli	....	makeup artist (as Gianni Donelli)

Production Management
Gino Millozza	....	unit production manager
Pietro Notarianni	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Luigi Vanzi	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Giulio Canavero	....	sound technician
Emilio Rosa	....	sound technician
Ennio Sensi	....	sound technician

Camera and Electrical Department
Erico Menczer	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Giandomenico Zeppa	....	final colorist: digital restoration (uncredited)

Music Department
Libero Tosoni	....	musician: guitar
Armando Trovajoli	....	musician: piano (as Armando Trovaioli)

Other crew
Renato Angiolini	....	production secretary
Elvira D'Amico	....	script supervisor
Ugo Tucci	....	production secretary
Isa Bellini	....	voice dubbing: Anna Maria Pancani (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Trionfalcine

Distributors

• Premiere Releasing Org. (II) (1962) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Die Lupe (1961) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Filmhaus Stöbergasse (1988) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Titanus (1955) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Aquarius TV (2004) (Greece) (DVD)
• Aquarius TV (2004) (Greece) (TV)
• Divisa Home Video (2011) (Spain) (DVD)
• Gala Films
• Homescreen (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Medusa Home Entertainment (2006) (Italy) (DVD)
• Versátil Home Vídeo (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Atelier Fontana  costumes

Also Known As:

"Le amiche" - Italy (original title)
"The Girlfriends" - UK (informal literal title), USA (informal literal title)

Runtime:

104 min | 95 min (cut version)

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Singapore:PG | West Germany:18 | Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Turin, Piedmont, Italy

Company:

Trionfalcine

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Monty Python's Flying Circus: The Money Programme (#3.3)" (1972)

"Le amiche" (1955)

I have seen again "Le amiche" after many years and considered it the best film of Antonioni, far better than those other famous films of the inventor of the un-communication, describing the industrial society of 60's Italy. The film is clear and enjoyable, with a perfect script, surprisingly modern after 45 years; in fact, in some aspects, more modern than films about today's society, more mature, more adult. The problems of women's evolution in society, the machismo, the vanity and shallowness of men, the bitchiness and emptiness of some women, the conflict between love and career...are all subjects masterly described by Antonioni in this beautiful film. The actors are superb, specially the actresses, main characters of this story: Eleonara Rossi Drago, the leading lady, apart from being beautiful has class, and one wonder why she didn't became one of the most important stars in European cinema. The others, are simply splendid: Valentina Cortese, what a voice! and Madeleine Fisher and Ivonne Fourneaux.

See this movie if you have the chance. I consider it one of the best Italian movies ever made.