Malena

"Too young to be a widow, too beautiful to be alone."

2000 1h 48m IT

🙌

7.6

BANGER

★7.6TMDB · 2,849

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

12-year-old Renato experiences three significant events on the same day: the beginning of the Second World War, getting a bike, and witnessing the arrival of the gorgeous Malèna. Through his eyes, we see the curse of beauty and loneliness of Malena, whose husband is presumed dead, and, through his soul, we see his love for her.

“Too young to be a widow, too beautiful to be alone.”

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Cast

Monica Bellucci
Malèna Scordia
Giuseppe Sulfaro
Renato Amoroso
Luciano Federico
Renato's Father
Matilde Piana
Renato's Mother
Pietro Notarianni
Prof. Bonsignore
Gaetano Aronica
Nino Scordia
Gilberto Idonea
Centorbi, the Lawyer
Angelo Pellegrino
Political Secretary

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Giuseppe Tornatore
Writers: Giuseppe Tornatore, Luciano Vincenzoni
Languages: English, Italian, Latin
Countries: Italy, United States of America

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

ERA

Did you know

26 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, Italian, Latin.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Italy, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Giuseppe Tornatore, shot by Lajos Koltai. 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 Ennio Morricone. 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 Quaglia 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

Monica Bellucci and Giuseppe Sulfaro and Luciano Federico carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Too young to be a widow, too beautiful to be alone.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Giuseppe Tornatore directs. Lajos Koltai behind the camera. Ennio Morricone scores. Massimo Quaglia cuts. Produced in Italy, United States of America. Dialogue in English, Italian, Latin.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

126 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, Italian, Latin.
3International production across 2 countries: Italy, United States of America.
4Directed by Giuseppe Tornatore, shot by Lajos Koltai. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Ennio Morricone. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Massimo Quaglia shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Monica Bellucci and Giuseppe Sulfaro and Luciano Federico carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Too young to be a widow, too beautiful to be alone.".
9IMDB entry: tt0213847 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 17 themes, including "prostitute", "jealousy", "sicily, italy", "widow".

The technical file

Cinematography: Lajos Koltai
Original score: Ennio Morricone
Editing: Massimo Quaglia
Production design: Francesco Frigeri
Costume design: Maurizio Millenotti
Makeup / hair: Alessandro Bertolazzi
VFX supervisor: David Bush
Runtime: 108 min · 1h 48m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $14,493,284
Original language: IT
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Malena (2000)

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Giuseppe Tornatore

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Community reviews

What people are saying

TheRealMina2023-07-12
★ 10/10
This movie is a masterpiece of storytelling. It explores the themes of loss, grief, and growing up in a captivating way that resonates with anyone who has faced challenges in life. It balances the drama with moments of humor, especially in the interactions between the young boy and his father, who have a realistic and touching bond. The ending was satisfying and emotional. The movie also excels in its visual aspects, with stunning cinematography, art direction, and setting that create a vivid atmosphere of the Sicilian culture and lifestyle of the time period in which the movie is set. The casting was spot on, with the young actor and Monica Bellucci delivering outstanding performances. Bellucci in particular impressed me with her expressive eyes in the market scene, where she conveyed the character’s feelings without words. As a man, I related a lot to Giuseppe Sulfaro character and his coming of age. Honestly, I didn't think I was going to like this movie as much I did when it finished. Rarely do I ever bother writing reviews for a movie I liked but this one I loved. Definitely worth a watch.

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