THE GARDEN OF THE FINZI-CONTINIS Movie Review

Il Giardino del Finzi-Contini

Vittorio de Sica's extraordinary, unexpected (at least by me) late-career masterwork is the story of a wealthy Jewish-Italian family living in luxurious, sheltered elegance—and in denial. It is World War II, and the Finzi-Continis are living in Ferrara. They will not believe that their way of life is endangered, let alone about to end catastrophically. The family's garden is a magnificent and tranquil setting, but it is walled. Each of the family members feels secure inside, but as the reality of their situation begins, bit by bit, to sink in, they feel secure only inside. In flashback we learn about the childhood of Micol (Dominique Sanda), the daughter whose romantic and sexual confusion is at the heart of the film. Through her character, De Sica gives us a portrait of people who create their own realities, their own carefully crafted universe, until, disastrously, the illusion is violently shattered. Simple, eloquent, and finally devastating, The Garden of the Finzi-Continis is a breathtaking classic from of one of the cinema's genuine masters. Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.

NEXT STOP… The Bicycle Thief, Miracle in Milan, The Boat Is Full

1971 (R) 94m/C IT Dominique Sanda, Helmut Berger, Lino Capolicchio, Fabio Testi, Romolo Valli; D: Vittorio De Sica; W: Cesare Zavattini; C: Ennio Guarnieri; M: Bill Conti, Manuel De Sica. Academy Awards ‘71: Best Foreign Film; Berlin International Film Festival ‘71: Golden Berlin Bear; Nominations: Academy Awards ‘71: Best Adapted Screenplay. VHS, LV COL, IME, WAR