Divorce Italian Style

"He ordered marriage on the rocks with a twist... Italian Style!"

1961 1h 44m IT

🙌

7.9

BANGER

★7.9TMDB · 558

ComedyCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Ferdinando Cefalù is desperate to marry his cousin, Angela, but he is married to Rosalia and divorce is illegal in Italy. To get around the law, he tries to trick his wife into having an affair so he can catch her and murder her, as he knows he would be given a light sentence for killing an adulterous woman. He persuades a painter to lure his wife into an affair, but Rosalia proves to be more faithful than he expected.

“He ordered marriage on the rocks with a twist... Italian Style!”

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Cast

Marcello Mastroianni
Ferdinando Cefalù
Daniela Rocca
Rosalia Cefalù
Stefania Sandrelli
Angela
Leopoldo Trieste
Carmelo Patanè
Odoardo Spadaro
Don Gaetano Cefalù
Margherita Girelli
Sisina
Angela Cardile
Agnese Cefalù
Lando Buzzanca
Rosario Mulè

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Pietro Germi
Writers: Alfredo Giannetti, Alfredo Giannetti, Ennio De Concini
Languages: Italian
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 / 7

ERA

Did you know

65 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Pietro Germi, shot by Leonida Barboni. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Marcello Mastroianni and Daniela Rocca and Stefania Sandrelli carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "He ordered marriage on the rocks with a twist... Italian Style!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0055913 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Pietro Germi directs. Leonida Barboni behind the camera. Carlo Rustichelli scores. Roberto Cinquini cuts. Produced in Italy. Dialogue in Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

165 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Pietro Germi, shot by Leonida Barboni. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Carlo Rustichelli. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Roberto Cinquini shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Marcello Mastroianni and Daniela Rocca and Stefania Sandrelli carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "He ordered marriage on the rocks with a twist... Italian Style!".
7IMDB entry: tt0055913 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Released under 12 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Leonida Barboni
Original score: Carlo Rustichelli
Editing: Roberto Cinquini
Production design: Carlo Egidi
Costume design: Dina Di Bari
Makeup / hair: Franco Freda
Runtime: 104 min · 1h 44m
Status: Released
Original language: IT
IMDB: Divorce Italian Style (1961)

Awards

Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Pietro Germi

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

talisencrw2016-08-16
★ 10/10
As a bizarre tribute to my mom on her 75th birthday and her 46-year-marriage to her only love, my father, who died in 2011, and to her subsequent loyalty and devotion, with stubborn refusal to even contemplate having another relationship, I decided to watch 'Divorce Italian Style'. It was hilarious and highly enjoyable. It certainly deserved its Oscar win for Best Screenplay, as well as its nominations that year both for Best Actor (Marcello Mastroianni) and Best Director (Pietro Germi). The latter tends to get thrown under the bus and ignored altogether when it comes to mentioning pivotal Italian directors of the period. Not so. Though this is thus far the only film of his I have seen, the guy--both in terms of script writing this comedy and behind the camera--is a sheer genius. Do yourself a favour and watch it today!

Production companies