Storia di ragazzi e di ragazze

This brilliant Italian ensemble piece is a film that would certainly benefit from repeated viewings. It's difficult at first to keep all the faces straight among the more than thirty characters, each with his or her fully developed identity, who share a 20-course meal to celebrate the engagement of a city boy and a country girl at the bride-to-be's family estate. The title of the film is fairly explicit, describing a graceful, subtle comedy of unspoken affections and hidden resentments, told (with a good deal of silent eye contact) in a series of not always casual encounters. After a day filled with quiet revelations nothing is changed but everyone is different, although it still isn't clear how a couple from such widely divergent backgrounds ever met in the first place.

(Note: the evocative black and white photography, making the film resemble something produced in the same pre-World War II setting as the story, was only seen at early press screenings. When it was finally released the film was diminished by a full range of more natural color.)

The movie appears immediately old and unpolished. The 4:3 ratio with black horizontal bars make the scene so tiny and the audio is recorded in sync sound, which makes some dialogue incomprehensible, especially with children. However, this contributes to give the movie an ancient aura, and I could easily imagine my grand-grandparents sitting around that table.

Something I have really appreciated is that there are so many characters taking equal space in the movie, but despite that complication, thanks to just a few actions and remarks their personality is quickly framed. Of course there is not much room for introspection, but it is possible to grasp the atmosphere of Italy back in the 1930s. A chauvinist society, ruled by patriarchate and somewhat split between cities and countryside. Some things changed nowadays, but not quite completely.

A rustic wedding feast with a dozen courses. Country boy marries city girl.

Flirtations. Infidelities. Family secrets exposed; prejudices expressed. Cute little kids. Sumptuous food. Italy in the thirties in the shadow of Mussolini.

You really need to know a little Italian to follow 'The Story of Boys and Girls' since there are so many characters talking practically at once, so the subtitles are annoying and distracting. Director Pupi Avati has everybody flying about to give us the mood of anticipation, and then the energy continues because there are so many personalities to be expressed. A lot of sexual pleasure taken on the run here, with the men as quick little rabbits; the women responsive, once aroused. Warm, charming, with just a hint of fascist values, and the disaster to come.

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While this was not a 'food movie' ("Tanpopo", "Big Night", "Eat Drink Man Woman", etc. the food preparation scene was one of the memorable scenes in this movie. The cinematography was beautiful, the storyline wholesome, and I still remember the soundtrack.

This is the first foreign film that I saw and enjoyed. The country and story are beautiful, the people are... odd, and the direction is great. I would recommend this film to almost anyone.