Europe '51 (1952)

A wealthy woman becomes obsessed with humanitarianism when her young son dies after committing suicide.

Director:

Roberto Rossellini

Writers:

Roberto Rossellini (story), Roberto Rossellini

Stars:

Ingrid Bergman, Alexander Knox, Ettore Giannini

4 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ingrid Bergman	...	Irene Girard
Alexander Knox	...	George Girard
Ettore Giannini	...	Andrea Casatti
Giulietta Masina	...	Giulietta, detta Passerotto
Teresa Pellati	...	Ines
Marcella Rovena	...	Mrs. Puglisi
Tina Perna	...	Cesira
Sandro Franchina	...	Michele Girard
Maria Zanoli	...	Mrs. Galli
Silvana Veronese
William Tubbs	...	Professor Alessandrini
Alberto Plebani	...	Mr. Puglisi
Eleonora Barracco
Alfonso Di Stefano
Alfred Browne	...	Hospital Priest

Storyline

Irene Girard is an ambassador's wife and used to living in luxury. After the dramatic death of her son, she feels guilty of having neglected him and feels compelled to help people in need who cross her path. One day she offers shelter to a man who is evading justice, and she ends being arrested herself. Her husband, for the sake of social propriety, arranges for a doctor to declare her insane. Irene escapes one prison to enter another, and to reflect on what sort of society she lives in.

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Plot Keywords:

social conscience | mother son estrangement | mother son relationship | upper class | motherhood | 

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Taglines:

BERGMAN'S BACK! The event and performance the motion picture world has waited for for four long years!

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

3 November 1954 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Greatest Love

Filming Locations:

Ponti-De Laurentiis Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$9,269

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ponti-De Laurentiis Cinematografica

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The square Irene and Andrea drive to is the Campodoglio in Rome. The equestrian statue is of Marcus Aurelius, emperor and stoic philosopher.

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Goofs

When Michel falls down the stairs, his parents rush to the car to get him to the hospital. When his mother finds him, she is wearing the white gown she wore at the dinner. When they first arrive at the hospital, she has a fur coat on. A few hours later, suddenly she has changed into a grey suit.

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Quotes

Irene Girard: I want to share the joy of those who are happy. I want to share the sorrow of those who suffer. The pain of those who are distressed. I want to live with the others and save myself with them. I'd rather be lost with them, than be saved alone. I only feel that I can belong to them when I'm free of everything else. When you're bound to nothing, you're bound to everybody.

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Alternate Versions

Ingrid Bergman, Alexander Knox and the other English-speaking actors dub their own voices into English for the English version.

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Connections

Referenced in Biography: Ingrid Bergman: A Passionate Life (1999)

User Reviews

Quite heavy stuff, for early '50's standards.

Dramas have always been around, ever since the earliest days of film and throughout the decades they have kept on changing and evolving, basically just like every other movie genre. This movie however seems unlike any other movie from around the same time period really. It's more bold and daring with its themes and therefore also truly original to watch as well.

The movie truly surprised me with some of its themes and events. Some of these elements might still be considered to be shocking and controversial in movies now days.

And its strange but it's often strangely compelling to watch the downfall and disintegration of another human being, or in this case, a character on film. And this movie pretty much chronicles the slowly deteriorating live of a married upper-class woman. Just when you think things can't get any worse for her, it does get worse but without ever getting melodramatic by the way, which is, I believe, the movie its biggest accomplishment.

It's a more realistic and humane told movie, that gets you truly involved with all of its events and drama. It simply is one fine and also effective Italian drama, in that regard, by director Roberto Rossellini.

Like often, Rossellini casted his then wife Ingrid Bergman, for the lead role. She was a good female lead, for movies of this sort. She could be strong and confident but yet also at the same time still with a very vulnerable and emotional undertone to it. Just as was required for her role in this movie, which was the second collaboration between her and Rossellini.

A must-see for the Roberto Rossellini fans and for the lovers of the more old fashioned and very straightforward kind of dramas.

8/10

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