The Tiger and the Snow

"A love-struck Italian poet is stuck in Iraq at the onset of an American invasion."

2005 1h 54m IT

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 508

ComedyDramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Love and injury in time of war. Attilio de Giovanni teaches poetry in Italy. He has a romantic soul, and women love him. But he is in love with Vittoria, and the love is unrequited. Every night he dreams of marrying her, in his boxer shorts and t-shirt, as Tom Waits sings. Vittoria travels to Iraq with her friend, Fuad, a poet; they are there with the second Gulf War breaks out. Vittoria is injured. Attilio must get to her side, and then, as war rages around him, he must find her the medical care she needs. In war, does love conquer all?

“A love-struck Italian poet is stuck in Iraq at the onset of an American invasion.”

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Cast

Roberto Benigni
Attilio de Giovanni
Jean Reno
Fuad
Nicoletta Braschi
Vittoria
Emilia Fox
Nancy Browning
Giuseppe Battiston
Ermanno
Tom Waits
Self / Sè stesso
Andrea Renzi
Dottor Guazzelli
Lucia Poli
Signora Serao

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Roberto Benigni
Writers: Pino Borselli, Roberto Benigni, Vincenzo Cerami
Languages: Italian, English, Arabic
Countries: Italy

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 69% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 21 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Italian, English, Arabic.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Roberto Benigni, shot by Fabio Cianchetti. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Nicola Piovani. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Massimo Fiocchi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Roberto Benigni and Jean Reno and Nicoletta Braschi carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A love-struck Italian poet is stuck in Iraq at the onset of an American invasion.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Roberto Benigni directs. Fabio Cianchetti behind the camera. Nicola Piovani scores. Massimo Fiocchi cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in Italy. Dialogue in Italian, English, Arabic.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 69% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
2Released 21 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Italian, English, Arabic.
4Directed by Roberto Benigni, shot by Fabio Cianchetti. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Nicola Piovani. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Massimo Fiocchi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Roberto Benigni and Jean Reno and Nicoletta Braschi carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "A love-struck Italian poet is stuck in Iraq at the onset of an American invasion.".
9IMDB entry: tt0419198 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 8 themes, including "literature professor", "medicine", "poet", "iraq".