Has the new wave of infection locked you up at home? Is the constant rain preventing you from enjoying an exciting fall day outdoors? No need to despair. Because now you have the perfect reason to take a trip to the Mediterranean. A cinematic journey.
After exploring some of the best Spanish films Netflix and co. have to offer, we turn our attention to Italy. This Mediterranean country has one of the richest film cultures in the world, having been the birthplace of some of the greatest film directors of all time. Many of its films are also recognized as cinematic milestones, and the following 7 are definitely among them.
The Great Beauty (La Grande Bellezza)
Since the success of his only novel many years ago, Jep Gambardella has been a fixture in Roman high society. But when his 65th birthday coincides with a shock from the past, Jep is unexpectedly forced to take stock of his life beyond the extravagant nightclubs and parties. Whether you’ve been to Rome before or have yet to visit: This movie is an absolute must-see. We assure you: You’ve never seen the Eternal City in such an absurd and overwhelmingly beautiful way.
Where: CNMA
Bicycle Thieves (Ladri di biciclette)
From the majestic Rome of the present to the dirty and war-torn Rome of the 1940s. Antonio, a working class man, has his bicycle stolen. As it is the only tool he has for his work, he is forced to roam the city with his son in search of the thief. Vittorio De Sica’s tragic masterpiece is considered a perfect portrayal of the Italian post-war capital and a paradigm of Italian neorealism: the film was shot on location with non-professional actors.
Where: Sooner, Apple TV, Google Play
Life is beautiful (La vita è bella)
If there is one thing that characterizes Italian culture, it is the ability to turn tragedies into comedies. Dante did this centuries ago, and Roberto Benigni gives it another twist with his Oscar-winning Life is Beautiful. The film tells the story of Guido, a carefree Jewish waiter who is deported to a concentration camp with his family during the war. There, he plays and pushes for his son, who imagines that the Holocaust is a game and the big prize for victory is a tank. So don’t be surprised if you find yourself crying and laughing at the same time.
Where: Google Play, Rakuten TV
Gomorrah – Journey into the realm of the Camorra (Gomorra)
Director Matteo Garrone offers a raw and brutal portrayal of one of Italy’s darkest cultural exports: the mafia. Through the struggles and misadventures of five individuals who believe they can make a pact with the Camorra – the Neapolitan mafia – we see how the criminal underworld of the Mediterranean country still functions today. Where violence is still a means for the power-hungry.
Where: Joyn Plus, CNMA
Two Glorious Scoundrels (Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo)
When you think of the western genre, the USA and its Monument Valley immediately spring to mind. However, some of the genre’s greatest milestones were shot in Spain and Italy, as this glorious film by legendary director Sergio Leone proves. The relentless hunt by three shady characters for buried treasure in the midst of the American Civil War counts some truly epic scenes, an iconic soundtrack by Ennio Morricone and a young Clint Eastwood among its charms.
Where: Apple TV, Sky Store
The Magic of Malèna (Malèna)
This unjustly underrated film is both a charming and funny coming-of-age story and a dramatic lamentation of the hypocrisy of Italy’s conservative morals. In a small Sicilian town, right at the beginning of the Second World War, a teenager falls in love with Malèna. She herself is a war widow who has to do everything she can to survive in this extremely patriarchal society. One of actress Monica Bellucci’s best roles.
Where: Prime Video
The sweet life (La dolce vita)
There was no way to make a list of great Italian films without adding arguably one of the best Italian directors. The Sweet Life tells the story of Marcello Rubini, played by the legendary Marcello Mastroianni. He is a tabloid journalist, always on the lookout for celebrities in compromising situations – he even has affairs with some of them. But Rubini soon begins to wonder why his extravagant life no longer satisfies him as much as it used to.
As in all of Federico Fellini’s films, the comedic-dramatic undertones give way to philosophical reflections on the meaning of life that never fail to touch the viewer.
Where: Prime Video, La Cinetek
