Malèna

Although mellowed by a narrative through the eyes of an adolescent, Malena is a movie that attempts to critique the savagery inherent in the 'civilized' society of men. Through the story, the viewer is shown the cruelty that people are capable of as a collective unit, with each individual playing a small part. It attempts to lay bare the gross hypocrisy and fragile morals that hide just beneath the surface.

Malena is also a discourse on beauty, and its brutal power. The feverish lust it produces in a man, and the severe and horrible envy in a woman. The viewer's feelings of appreciation for Malena's beauty are slowly overtaken by a feeling of utter despair for Malena's beauty, which is the cause of all her woes.

Technically the film is true to its period - a small Italian village that passes through the crisis of the 2nd World War. The story unfolds through the eyes of a young boy, who carries us along on a journey of lust, love and maturity. We watch helplessly as his innocent perspectives about life are jarred by the realities of society, while he watches helplessly the misfortunes of the beautiful Malena.

Sicily, 1940. A teenage boy (Giuseppe Sulfaro) is initiated into manhood when his friends introduce him to the glories of Malena (Monica Belluci), the most beautiful woman in town. Sulfaro becomes obsessed, following her wherever she goes on his bike, and he even spies on her in her home. His obsession is not the only one, as much as he wishes and wants to believe it were - the whole town worships her. Every man wants to have her, and every woman is deeply jealous of that fact. And, man, does that make life hard for Malena - her husband is fighting the war in Africa, and the rumors are flying, making life nearly impossible. Sulfaro might see her as a sex object initially, but the more he observes the more he sympathizes. This film begins as an enjoyable comedy, but it grows deeply serious. The climax is one of the harshest, most potent sequences I've seen in a long while. One will recognize the nostalgic tone of the movie if you're familiar with Cinema Paradiso, but I think this is actually a stronger film. Excellent.

I found the film to be visually hypnotic and very moving. I was also impressed with the film maker's story telling technique. The film brought me into the bustling street life of the Sicilian village by eye-level camera work and the comments of the people in crowded scenes, through which I was taken with the characters. Just like walking down a busy urban street anywhere with your ears and eyes open. The film made me wake up to the fact that so much American film, perhaps all contemporary film, is composed mainly of close ups with two or a few people. Not this film. There is a sequence with airplanes overhead that is absolutely dizzying without any fancy 3-D or pyrotechnic effects. Mr. Tornatore brilliantly uses silent stares, pairs of eyes and silly dream sequences with amazing effect. The male lead, an adolescent boy, is portrayed with great empathy by Giuseppe Sulfaro without schmaltz or sanitizing, so typical in American films about puberty. The title role, played well by a dazzling Monica Bellucci, could have been written for a young Sophia Loren. (My dream sequence, I guess) My favorite character was Renato's father, hilariously played by Luciano Federico. A must see.

Malena is a beautiful and deeply touching film. It is a masterful combination of sites, sounds and colors. The two leading actors (Monica Bellucci and Giuseppe Sulfaro) are simply excellent at what they are supposed to convey in this movie. Apart from her truly majestic elegance, Monica Bellucci invests her character (Malena) with an aura of tragedy, of some profound and unrelenting emotional trauma and pain which remains unspoken throughout the film and reaches its climax at the very end. Malena's stunningly beautiful eyes remain constantly downcast, and her face -- tense and pierced through by psychic pain (she rarely raises her face, let alone speaks words). Renato (the teenage boy) wins his audience by his incredibly pure and valiant love for Malena (this affection he carries in his heart for several years). She becomes his muse, his courage, his sense of honor, his whole rationale for confronting difficult and disruptive life of the war-torn Italy. I agree completely with another commentator who said that the ending of the movie is perhaps one of the most genuinely melancholic moments in modern cinematography. Simply brilliant. Superb music! This movie should be watched several times to be fully appreciated.

When this movie was released the buzz was huge... Mostly because it starred the walking-talking male fantasy, Monica Bellucci. It did the rounds around various Film Festivals and even the most skeptical critics were won over. They were won over by many things... The scenery is stunning, making you feel like you're really in Sicily. The acting is subtle but superb. And it's this that is most shocking. Monica Bellucci was, when this film was released, a model-turning-actress. No-one expected her to actually be good, and we were right, she wasn't good... she is amazing in this film!! Bellucci has very little dialogue, she has to use body language and facial expressions... most people would agree this is much more difficult. Since this film, she has gone on to be Italy's most successful acting export for years. With roles in Matrix 2 & 3, Tears Of The Sun, and the truly ground-breaking Irreversible, she has proved herself time and time again! What her character goes through is heartbreaking and, through Bellucci's acting and the wonderful performance given by protagonist narrator Renato (Giuseppe Sulfaro), we experience everything she does.

At times the movie is hilarious, particularly when detailing the lengths the men of the village will go to just to catch glimpse of Malena. Mostly though, the film shows how jealousy and subsequent hatred can destroy anything and anyone. This movie will stay with you for a very long time!!

8.5/10