Journey to Italy

1954 1h 25m IT

👍

7.2

SOLID

🔥

96%

CERTIFIED FRESH

💯

100

METACRITIC

⭐

7.3

IMDB

★7.2TMDB · 349🍅96%Rotten Tomatoes●100Metacritic★7.3IMDB · 13,306

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Married for eight years with no children, Brits Katherine and Alex Joyce are driving to Italy, their ultimate destination just outside of Naples to sell the villa they have just inherited from his uncle, the villa where they will be staying during their time there. On the drive, they come to the realization that this trip marks the first time that they have truly been alone together, and as such don't really know one another in the true sense.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Ingrid Bergman
Katherine Joyce
George Sanders
Alex Joyce
Maria Mauban
Marie
Anna Proclemer
Prostitute
Paul Müller
Paul Dupont
Leslie Daniels
Tony Burton
Natalia Ray
Natalie Burton
Jackie Frost
Betty

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Roberto Rossellini
Writers: Vitaliano Brancati, Roberto Rossellini, Vitaliano Brancati
Languages: English, Italian
Countries: Italy, France

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

RUNTIME

Did you know

85 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

72 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Italian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Italy, France.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Directed by Roberto Rossellini, shot by Enzo Serafin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders and Maria Mauban carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Roberto Rossellini directs. Enzo Serafin behind the camera. Renzo Rossellini scores. Jolanda Benvenuti cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Italy, France. Dialogue in English, Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

185 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
272 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Italian.
4International production across 2 countries: Italy, France.
5Directed by Roberto Rossellini, shot by Enzo Serafin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Renzo Rossellini. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Jolanda Benvenuti shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders and Maria Mauban carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt0046511 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 9 themes, including "prostitute", "husband wife relationship", "based on novel or book", "italy".
11Released under 20 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Enzo Serafin
Original score: Renzo Rossellini
Editing: Jolanda Benvenuti
Production design: Piero Filippone
Costume design: Fernanda Gattinoni
Runtime: 85 min · 1h 25m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: IT
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Journey to Italy (1954)
Rotten Tomatoes: 96% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 100/100
IMDB rating: 7.3/10 · 13,306 votes
MPAA: Approved

Awards

3 wins total

Also by

Roberto Rossellini

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-03-28
★ 6/10
On the face of it, this ought to have been a much better film. Ingrid Bergman, George Sanders and Naples - all under the expert supervision of Roberto Rossellini. Unfortunately, what we end up with is a beautifully crafted, but overly melodramatic story of a couple who find their marriage is over. When they drive to Naples to sell a villa Sanders has inherited, they discover during their journey - and once they arrive, that they just don't know each other any more. Whatever they did have in common at the start of their eight year marriage has long since departed leaving them with only a shell of a relationship and a veneer of affection with both really yearning for freedom, not just from each other, but from their tried and tested existence. I found Bergman to be quite sterile, her performance aloof and distant - but not in a characterful way; more high-maintenance ice maiden-ish. Sanders is what he always is: he has panache and style but again, his heart just didn't seem to be in it - on any level. Some magnificent cinematography of the Neopolitan countryside, and some interesting scenes filmed in/around Pompeii give the film a little bit more, but ultimately I found it all just a little empty....

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