The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (1970)
"Il giardino dei Finzi Contini" (original title)

In the late 1930s, in Ferrara, Italy, the Finzi-Contini are one of the leading families, wealthy, aristocratic, urbane; they are also Jewish. Their adult children, Micol and Alberto, gather... See full summary »

Director:

Vittorio De Sica

Writers:

Giorgio Bassani (novel), Vittorio Bonicelli,

Stars:

Lino Capolicchio, Dominique Sanda, Fabio Testi

Won 1 Oscar. Another 10 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lino Capolicchio	...	Giorgio
Dominique Sanda	...	Micòl Finzi Contini
Fabio Testi	...	Bruno Malnate
Romolo Valli	...	Giorgio's Father
Helmut Berger	...	Alberto
Camillo Cesarei	...	Micol's Father
Inna Alexeievna	...	Micol's Grandmother (as Inna Alexeieff)
Katina Morisani	...	Micol's Mother
Barbara Pilavin	...	Giorgio's Mother (as Barbara Leonard Pilavin)
Michael Berger
Ettore Geri
Raffaele Curi	...	Ernesto
Gianpaolo Duregon
Marcella Gentile
Cinzia Bruno	...	Young Micol

Storyline

In the late 1930s, in Ferrara, Italy, the Finzi-Contini are one of the leading families, wealthy, aristocratic, urbane; they are also Jewish. Their adult children, Micol and Alberto, gather a circle of friends for constant rounds of tennis and parties at their villa with its lovely grounds, keeping the rest of the world at bay. Into the circle steps Giorgio, a Jew from the middle class who falls in love with Micol. She seems to toy with him, and even makes love to one of his friends while she knows Giorgio is watching. While his love cannot seem to break through to her to draw her out of her garden idyll, the forces of politics close in.

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Plot Keywords:

love | friend | 1930s | jew | tennis | 

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Genres:

Drama | History | War

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Pictures Classics

Country:

Italy West Germany

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

16 December 1971 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Garden of the Finzi-Continis

Filming Locations:

Ferrara, Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$112,105 (USA) (22 November 1996)

Gross:

$596,694 (USA) (10 January 1997)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Documento Film, CCC-Filmkunst

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was a personal triumph for 'Vittorio de Sica', a director who had struggled to have a hit since Marriage Italian Style.

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Quotes

Micol: You and I are not normal people. For the two of us, what counts more than the possession of things - how shall I put it - is the remembrance of things, the memory of things.

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Connections

Referenced in Yperoha plasmata: Tis Aristeras kai tis Proodou... (2008)

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Soundtracks

"Vivere"
Written by Cesare A. Bixio (uncredited)
Performed by Tito Schipa
Per concessione della EMI Italiana S.p.A.

User Reviews

A great adaptation from a freat novel

I first heard a radio adaptation from the Garden of the Finzi Contini and afer that read the book. I thought it would be difficult to make an adaptation to cinema. Indeed, the book is above all psychological (or romantic in the literary meaning of the 19th century)i.e the narrator describing his inner world and his sufferings...

However, Vittorio de Sica succeeded in expressing this without using monologue, without making a too slow picture... The music is very good too... the images are wonderful...

I must correct some commentaries Malnate, Micol's lover is not a fascist but a communist... There is also a difference with the book : in the book we do not know for sure that Micol and Malnate were lovers, it is an assumption whereas it is an evidence in the film...

In spite of this differences, this picture deserves a 10 out of 10!