Story of a Love Affair (1950)

Paola is a young, beautiful woman married to a wealthy entrepreneur. She meets her former lover Guido after seven years, but their relationship is marked by tragic events.

Director:

Michelangelo Antonioni

Writers:

Michelangelo Antonioni (story), Michelangelo Antonioni (screenplay)

Stars:

Lucia Bosé, Massimo Girotti, Ferdinando Sarmi

2 wins.

Cast

Credited cast:
Lucia Bosé	...	Paola Molon Fontana
Massimo Girotti	...	Guido
Ferdinando Sarmi	...	Enrico Fontana
Gino Rossi	...	Carloni, the detective
Marika Rowsky	...	Joy, the model
Rosi Mirafiore	...	Barmaid
Rubi D'Alma	...	Paola's friend
Anita Farra
Carlo Gazzabini	...	(as Carlo Gazzapini)
Nardo Rimediotti
Renato Burrini
Vittorio Manfrino
Vittoria Mondello	...	Matilde
Franco Fabrizi	...	Fashion show presentator
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gino Cervi

Storyline

Paola (Lucia Bose) is the beautiful and jealously-guarded younger wife of a shady factory owner, Enrico Fontana (Ferdinando Sarmi). In order to investigate her romantic history he hires a private detective, which ironically brings Paola back into contact with former lover Guido (Massimo Girotti), with whom she resurrects a lost passion. Dogged by the suspicions of their respective mates, they are drawn closer to each other in the face of adversity, and begin to plot Enrico's demise. But when the challenge of being together falls away, will the passion start to wane? A masterpiece of intensity and finely-wrought emotion.

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Plot Keywords:

italy | passion | private detective | directorial debut | infidelity | 

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Taglines:

Where Antonioni begins...his first feature film

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

30 April 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

Paula

Filming Locations:

FERT Studios, Turin, Piedmont, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Villani Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the time of filming, 19 year old star Lucia Bosé was Miss Italy 1947. She was also one of Michelangelo Antonioni's girlfriends.

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Goofs

After Paola says, "Leave me alone," the camera moves to follow her as she collapses onto her bed. In the upper right corner of the frame, a white drape can be briefly seen before it is pulled out of the path of the camera.

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Connections

Featured in Cinema: Alguns Cortes - Censura III (2015)

User Reviews

Guilt and Passion

In Milano, when the wealthy and jealous entrepreneur Enrico Fontana (Ferdinando Sarmi) discovers hidden photos of his gorgeous twenty-seven year-old wife Paola Molon Fontana (Lucia Bosé), he hires a Neapolitan detective agency to investigate her past. Enrico, who owns twenty companies, married Paola during the war in March 1943 and her past is unknown to him. Detective Morale Carloni (Gino Rossi) is assigned by his boss to head to Ferrara, where Paola studied the technical school after leaving her hometown in Rovigo. During his investigation, the snoopy Carloni discovers that the teenager Paola dated many youngsters and her best friends were Matilda Calvani and Giovanna Carlini, who died seven years ago two days before her wedding with Guido (Massimo Girotti). He gets the address of Guido with Matilda's father but his wife sends a letter to Guido advising that the police was probing him. Guido travels to Milano, where he meets Paola after seven years to show the letter. When they see each other, their old passion reignites; but Carloni is still chasing the truth about the tragic accident with Giovanna.

"Cronaca di un Amore" is the first feature of the director Michelangelo Antonioni and his debut could not be better. This film noir has a magnificent cinematography in black and white and unusual and sophisticated angles of camera. The story is engaging, with the gorgeous nineteen year-old Lucia Bosé, who was Miss Italy 1947, in the role of a twenty-seven year-old fatal woman married with a rich industrial that left an old passion after a tragic accident and revives her love when they reunite seven years later. The romance is quite a comedy of errors, with the feeling of guilt of Paola and Guido affecting their love. Milano in the after war with few cars on the streets is also impressive. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Crimes d'Alma" ("Crimes of Soul")