Journey to Italy (1954)

An unhappily married couple attempts to find direction and insight while vacationing in Naples.

Director:

Roberto Rossellini

Writers:

Vitaliano Brancati (story and screenplay), Roberto Rossellini (story and screenplay)

Stars:

Ingrid Bergman, George Sanders, Maria Mauban

3 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ingrid Bergman	...	Katherine Joyce
George Sanders	...	Alex Joyce
Maria Mauban	...	Marie (as Marie Mauban)
Anna Proclemer	...	La prostituta
Paul Muller	...	Paul Dupont
Anthony La Penna	...	Tony Burton (as Leslie Daniels)
Natalia Ray	...	Natalie Burton (as Natalia Rai)
Jackie Frost	...	Betty

Storyline

Married for eight years with no children, Brits Katherine and Alex Joyce are driving to Italy, their ultimate destination just outside of Naples to sell the villa they have just inherited from his uncle, the villa where they will be staying during their time there. On the drive, they come to the realization that this trip marks the first time that they have truly been alone together, and as such don't really know one another in the true sense. While in Italy, they end up mainly embarking on pursuits separate from each other - Katherine preferring the cultural, Alex preferring "company" including with some acquaintances they didn't know were in Naples until running into them on their first night in the city - and on the few occasions when they do spend time together, there is a tension and an underlying increasing want on both sides to hurt the other emotionally in their individual beliefs of what the other is thinking or has done in their time apart. As their marriage slowly falls ...

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Plot Keywords:

married couple | capri | pompeii | italy | husband wife relationship | 

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Taglines:

A Dramatic and Unusual Love Story!

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Italy France

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

8 September 1954 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Strangers

Filming Locations:

Naples, Campania, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Italia Film, Junior Film, Sveva Film

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

George Sanders, in his 1960 autobiography, wrote at length about the making of this film, which he found an exasperating and unpleasant experience. He spoke witheringly about Roberto Rossellini, whom he characterized as being more interested in scuba-diving than in film-making. Although the tone of his remarks is one of amusement, it became known that Sanders (who had admired earlier Rossellini films) had been deeply affected by exposure to a style of film-making quite foreign to his previous experience, and had spent the shoot feeling frustrated and angry, often bursting into uncontrollable tears.

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Goofs

After deciding to leave Pompeii, and walking down the stairs for the exit, the arm and shoulder of a crew member appear in the lower right side of the screen.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Alex Joyce: Where are we?
Katherine Joyce: Oh, I don't know exactly.

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Connections

Referenced in Adam (2019)

User Reviews

Searching for love in a marriage.

This movie is being an example of some simplistic but beautiful and effective film-making. It doesn't follow a big story in which a big conflict suddenly arises or something needs to get solved or found but it's simply a movie about a, somewhat elderly British(?) couple, on holiday in Italy, who suddenly start to realize that they have never really loved each other.

It's a movie that works because of how well done and beautifully it all got done. It obviously helps that the movie is being set in Italy and features some of the famous landmarks, in and around Napels. The movie focus a lot on the culture and history, since the movie is seen through the eyes of our two main characters, that are tourists and new to the country. There is always something happening in the movie, even though it really doesn't follow a that complicated or thick storyline. It's a movie that prefers realism and is basically a random slice of life and about marriage, that of course is not always anything romantic or love filled. Suddenly they start to learn more about each other and about themselves, which makes them realize that they are perhaps not meant to be together. Doesn't sound that interesting perhaps but the way the story gets told simply makes this a great one to watch, that also never bores. Granted that it's also a quite short movie.

The movie also works well because the characters in it are being realistic and they interacting convincingly with each other. Both George Sanders and Ingrid Bergman gave some fine performances in this movie and were a convincing screen couple, who's marriage has worn out.

It's also a movie that benefits from the fact that it got done in black & white. For some reason I think this movie would had been way more cheesy had it been shot in full color. Instead now the movie has some real class and beauty to it as well.

Despite that it's a movie set in Italy and also an Italian produced movie, with an Italian title, it's still an mostly English spoken film. At least the two main characters speak Italian throughout. So those who normally won't come near a 'foreign' film can also easily watch this one, if you pick up the right, original, version of it of course.

Simply one fine little, well done, effective movie, by Italian director Roberto Rossellini.

8/10

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