Sunflower (1970)

An Italian woman conducts a desperate search for her husband, a soldier considered missing in action in Russia during WWII.

Director:

Vittorio De Sica

Writers:

Tonino Guerra (story and screenplay) (as Antonio Guerra), Cesare Zavattini (story and screenplay)

Stars:

Sophia Loren, Marcello Mastroianni, Lyudmila Saveleva

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sophia Loren	...	Giovanna
Marcello Mastroianni	...	Antonio
Lyudmila Saveleva	...	Mascia (as Ljudmila Saveljeva)
Galina Andreeva	...	Valentina Ivanovna - the Soviet official
Anna Carena	...	La madre di Antonio
Nadya Serednichenko	...	La contadina russa (as Nadja Cerednicenko)
Germano Longo	...	Ettore
Glauco Onorato	...	Il reduce
Silvano Tranquilli	...	L'operaio italiano
Marisa Traversi	...	La donna alla stazione
Gunars Cilinskis	...	Il funzionario russo (as Gunnar Zilinskij)
Giorgio Basso
Gianni Bortolotto
Umberto Di Grazia
Giuliano Girardi

Storyline

At the end of World War II, Giovanna, a war bride living near Milan refuses to accept that her husband, Antonio, missing on the Russian front, is dead. There's a flashback to their brief courtship near her hometown of Naples, his 12-day leave to marry her, ruses to keep from deployment, and the ultimate farewell. Some years after the war, still with no word from Antonio, Giovanna goes to Russia to find him, starting in the town near the winter battle when he disappeared. Armed with his photograph, what will she find?

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Plot Keywords:

russia | italy | milan italy | italian soldier | volunteer | 

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Taglines:

A love story that spans two tempestuous decades in a motion picture of extraordinary power and enchantment!

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to the 'Bloomsbury Foreign Film Guide', this was the first Italian film to be filmed mostly in Poltava, Ukraine.

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Goofs

Mascia tells Giovanna that when she found Antonio, he was hurt so badly that he had forgotten everything, including his own name. If that's true, then how did Mascia know his name was Antonio?

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Quotes

Giovanna: Why are you ashamed to admit you're Italian?

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Connections

Referenced in Panel Quiz Attack 25: Episode dated 3 April 2005 (2005)

User Reviews

touched my heart

You know the plot.

Sunflower was Vittorio De Sica's last film. It was dismissed by the critics as hopelessly maudlin melodrama. But anyone who cares enough to be reading this no doubt knows the humanity he crafted into every frame, and the beauty and sadness of life it evokes.

Henry Mancini's theme song is, IMVHO, the very best he ever wrote. I'm reduced to tears every time I hear it. Yet it seems Mancini himself treated as a lesser child. His daughter recorded it to lyrics better left forgotten.

Details

Country:

Italy France Soviet Union USA

Language:

Italian English Russian

Release Date:

24 September 1970 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sunflower

Filming Locations:

Bereguardo, Pavia, Lombardia, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Compagnia Cinematografica Champion, Les Films Concordia, Mosfilm

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min 98 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1