Story of a Love Affair

1950 1h 38m IT

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 117

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A wealthy, possessive husband's investigation reignites his young wife's past love, leading them to plot against him. As obstacles fall away, their passion faces a new test.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Massimo Girotti
Guido
Lucia Bosè
Paola Molon Fontana
Gino Rossi
Carloni
Marika Rowsky
Joy, the model
Ferdinando Sarmi
Enrico Fontana
Rubi D'Alma
Paola's friend
Anita Farra
Carlo Gazzabini

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Michelangelo Antonioni
Writers: Silvio Giovaninetti, Daniele D'Anza, Piero Tellini
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 / 6

ERA

Did you know

76 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

ERA

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

ERA

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

CAST

Did you know

Massimo Girotti and Lucia Bosè and Gino Rossi carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0042355 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Michelangelo Antonioni directs. Enzo Serafin behind the camera. Giovanni Fusco scores. Eraldo Da Roma cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Italy. Dialogue in Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

176 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, shot by Enzo Serafin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Giovanni Fusco. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Eraldo Da Roma shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Massimo Girotti and Lucia Bosè and Gino Rossi carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt0042355 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Released under 14 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Enzo Serafin
Original score: Giovanni Fusco
Editing: Eraldo Da Roma
Production design: Piero Filippone
Costume design: Ferdinando Sarmi
Makeup / hair: Libero Politi
Runtime: 98 min · 1h 38m
Status: Released
Original language: IT
Certification (US): TP
IMDB: Story of a Love Affair (1950)

Also by

Michelangelo Antonioni

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-09-07
★ 7/10
Lucia Bosè is the charming, attractive "Paola", married to the wealthy "Enrico" (Ferdinando Sarmi) and living an unchallenging life. Already, she is going through the motions after just one year of marriage. He is the jealous type, so jealous in fact that when he finds a couple of old photos, he hires a private investigator to look into his wife's past. Not only does he discover the existence of her previous beau "Guido" (the hunky Massimo Girotti) but that very investigation re-introduces them - and they promptly pick up pretty much where they left off. Quickly, their desire to be together takes over and it isn't long before they alight on a plan to be rid of her intrusive, and slightly dodgy, husband. What flows though, can also ebb - and as their plotting proceeds, their passion diminishes and the two start to become trapped in a curious web of their own making - unable to go backwards or forward! Add to this mix, a lovely, bubbling, sub plot about a letter and two of her college friends who were involved in a tragedy that the police are still trying to get to the bottom of, and we have a entertainingly complex bit of brigue. On the down side, this is a very dialogue-heavy movie. Antonioni was still learning his craft when he shot this, and perhaps he needed someone to rein in the verbiage a little and allow the cleverly crafted photography, the settings and the superior acting from an on-form Bosè to do more of the heavy lifting. That said, though, you can't keep a good story down and this does pack quite a lot into slightly over and hour and an half. There are just desserts for almost everyone, and though there is an element of romance, it is one of passion and scheming rather than cheese. Certainly worth a watch.

Production companies