Divorce---Italian Style (1961)
Directed by Pietro Germi
Genres - Comedy, Crime, Family & Personal Relationships |
Sub-Genres - Domestic Comedy, Satire |
Run Time - 118 min. |
Countries - Italy |
MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson
To fully appreciate the international box-office bonanza Divorce, Italian Style (Divorzio All'Italiana), one must remember that back in 1962, divorce was illegal in Italy. Ferdinando CefalĂș(Marcello Mastroianni) would love to unload his demanding, sex-starved, monumentally unappealing wife, Rosalia (Daniela Rocca), but he can't take the legal means open to his American counterparts. Ferdinando can, however, kill off his wife and receive a light sentence...provided he catches the lady committing adultery. The trick now is to make his plate-of-potatoes spouse attractive enough so that some other man will accommodate Ferdinando by cuckolding him. Divorce, Italian Style not only cleaned up financially, but also won several international film awards, as well as an Oscar nomination for Marcello Mastroianni.
Characteristics
Moods
Themes
Keywords
extramarital-affair, battle-of-the-sexes, husband-and-wife, marital-problems, Italy, killing, murder, Sicilian, divorce, investigation
Attributes
High Artistic Quality, High Historical Importance