Liebe, Brot und Phantasie

A beautiful naive Italian romantic comedy from the 1950s.

With a grandeur typical of much of the rest of this light-hearted romance, the new police chief "Antonio" (Vittorio De Sica) arrives at his new, rural, command on the bus. He has hardly hung up his hat before he takes a bit of a shine to "Bersagliera" (Gina Lollobrigida) who's nickname "Frisky" clearly demonstrates how totally unsuitable any relationship between the two might be. Anyway, she has her eyes on his dashing young sergeant (Roberto Risso). His life is further complicated when the local midwife "Annarella" (Marisa Merlini) begins to fall in love with him, unaware that she has a few secrets of her own that might compromise everything. It's quite difficult to précis the plot without making it look like a predictable soap-style love triangle, but the characterisations here and the quick-fired dialogue pack quite a lot into ninety minutes with Lollobrigida at her most natural in front of the camera. Except, that is, when they are on the bikes in front of what is clearly a moving background of somewhere completely different! There's plenty of chemistry here, some fun and the practically minded "Frisky" seems ultimately more bothered about her mule than either of her men. It's a film that slightly exaggerates normal village life, and at times is just a wee bit contrived, but it's still entertaining to watch.

A small village on italian countryside is the perfect scenario to unfolding a story where everybody knows about other's lives, the people will talk in each little suspicious moves, all this happen when a new chief of the police arrives in town, an unmarried man, he'll be advised by the priest who takes care about everything, the picture was a hit in those time and gave a sequel, a still young Lolobrigida and the mid age Vittorio De Sica made a remarkable performance in this enjoyable custom italian comedy!!

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First watch: 2018 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8.5

Pane, Amore e Fantasia is a light, romantic comedy of manners that seems to have been resurrected from the fascist era, when, just like in Portuguese cinema during the Estado Novo, everyone was poor but honest, happy and God-fearing. The comedies exuded a social peace and collective well-being that only propaganda could create.

However, this is a post-war film, produced in the era of neo-realism. Vittorio de Sica himself, although behind the camera, had already made Sciusciá, Bicycle Thieves and Umberto D. What a contrast with the folkloric and innocent optimism of this Pane, Amore e Fantasia! Never has a title summed up a film so well.

And yet, the film also has virtues, despite its simplistic anachronism. Gina Lollobrigida plays a magnificent character, with a wild sensuality. The closed environment of the small provincial town, with its old men who know everything and control everything about other people's lives, has a delightful charm and irony, reminiscent of the best of Pagnol.

It is a light, nostalgic work, but certainly enjoyable to watch, which won the Silver Bear in Berlin and was even nominated for an Oscar for best original screenplay. A luminous island of peace and love, amidst the shadows of post-war Italian neo-realism.

I watched this film with a bit of sadness. There will never be another set of Italian films that boast of the passion, truth, and joy of the neorealism period of Italian cinema. Not just a few films, but several dozen of them one after another, year in and year out until the mid-1970s. The combination of DeSica and Lollobrigida guaranteed this film would be a smash hit; and it was. What a delightful little film about everyday life in a small village, where a secret lasts about as long as a fresh loaf of bread. Do yourself a favor; watch this one with somebody you care for.