Stealing Beauty (1996)

After her mother commits suicide, nineteen year old Lucy Harmon travels to Italy to have her picture painted. However, she has other reasons for wanting to go. She wants to renew her ... See full summary »

Director:

Bernardo Bertolucci

Writers:

Bernardo Bertolucci (story), Susan Minot

Stars:

Carlo Cecchi, Sinéad Cusack, Jeremy Irons

1 win & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Carlo Cecchi	...	Carlo Lisca
Sinéad Cusack	...	Diana (as Sinead Cusack)
Joseph Fiennes	...	Christopher
Jason Flemyng	...	Gregory
Anna Maria Gherardi	...	Chiarella Donati
Jeremy Irons	...	Alex
Jean Marais	...	M. Guillaume
Donal McCann	...	Ian
D.W. Moffett	...	Richard
Ignazio Oliva	...	Osvaldo Donati
Stefania Sandrelli	...	Noemi
Francesco Siciliano	...	Michele Lisca
Mary Jo Sorgani	...	Maria
Leonardo Treviglio	...	Lieutenant
Liv Tyler	...	Lucy Harmon

Storyline

After her mother commits suicide, nineteen year old Lucy Harmon travels to Italy to have her picture painted. However, she has other reasons for wanting to go. She wants to renew her acquaintance with Nicolo Donati, a young boy with whom she fell in love on her last visit four years ago. She also is trying tosolve the riddle left in a diary written by her dead mother, Sara.

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Plot Keywords:

artist | italy | virginity | travel | playwright | 

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Taglines:

The most beautiful place to be is in love.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexuality, nudity, some drug use and language

Details

Official Sites:

Cecchi Gori Group

Country:

Italy France UK

Language:

English French German Spanish Italian

Release Date:

14 June 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dancing by Myself

Filming Locations:

Brolio, Castiglion Fiorentino, Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$103,028 (USA) (14 June 1996)

Gross:

£600,443 (UK) (13 September 1996)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fiction Films, France 2 Cinéma, Jeremy Thomas Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The three poems we see Lucy (Liv Tyler) compose while in Italy are:

• 1. I have her secret deep within for years I've had to hide I've bought the clues And now I'm hope To bring the truth outside
• 2. I wait I wait so patiently I'm as quiet as a cup I hope you'll come and rattle me Quick! Come wake me up.
• 3. The dye is cast The dice are rolled I feel like shit you look like gold.

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Goofs

When Lucy enters the Tuscan Villa for the first time you see a swallow (Hirundo rustica) flying combined with the screeching call of the swift (Apus apus).

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Quotes

Lucy: Why are you crying?
Osvaldo Donati: Because I want to kiss you.

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Connections

Referenced in One Step Beyond: The Making of 'Alien: Resurrection' (2003)

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Soundtracks

"Anne Mae"
Performed by John Lee Hooker
Written by John Lee Hooker
Courtesy of Pointblank/Virgin Records America, Inc.

User Reviews

Blew Me away

This film blew me away. The hurt, love and pain expressed in this movie through the most simple forms of cinematography are amazing. A classical film of life and death, of love and pain. One of Liv Lylers best acting jobs. Again I agree that this is a film that maybe Americans won't really understand. Its very European in the way the individual characters interact. A must see for anyone who demands detail in a film. Its not just a love or romance film. Its about life in its purest form, about peoples imperfections and their desires. It brings out human nature as its over all theme. Once again, it blew me away. I haven't seen a film like this before.