Divorce, Italian Style

Divorce, Italian Style (1961)

a film by Pietro Germi

What is it?

Fernandino Cefalú, a Sicilian nobleman is stuck in his marriage and longs to marry his beautiful cousin Angela. Divorce is illegal, so he sets a plan to trick his wife into an affair with another man and then murder her to keep his honor. Divorce, Italian Style is a social satire but also a comedy rich in cinematography and memorable characters.

Memorable scene

In one of the sequences of this movie they announce the screening of La Dolce Vita, and all the town is collapsed by the controversy and appeal of this film. Nobody wants to miss it and they packed the theater for the show. The faces of the crowd, the fascination of the audience and the reference to a movie within a movie are unforgettable.

Favorite quote

"Life starts all over at 40. It's true." Baron Fernandino Cefalú

Why is it worth watching this movie?

The impossibility of getting a legal divorce and soft penalties for assassination in case of honor satisfaction, two elements that could inspired the most heart-breaking drama serve as a starting point for a brilliant comedy.

This movie is rich in its narrative and the cinematography. I was impressed by the camera movements and the composition of the sequences, as well as by the characters that seem taken out of Goya painting. This comedy about machinations and desire is a love letter to Sicily but also an acid satire. I take from this movie the excellent use of the narrator and the amazing role of Marcello Mastroiani and of course the tic of the Baron Cefalú.