This is movie is pretty scandalous for 1950. We see the worst sides of not just this marriage, but every marriage, through the woman's point of view. I found Bergman quite compelling, floundering around looking to inject some meaning or value into her marriage. She never says it, but there are several turns where she thinks "if only this happens, I'll be happy." Of course she's never happy. The ending is kind of famous, and pretty ambiguous, which is incredibly refreshing from a 1950s film.

The lack of a character to root for makes the film difficult, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Rossellini shoots it magnificently, particularly during the fishing and eruption scenes. And I found myself rooting for Bergman despite her flaws. Someone on iMDB compared it to Man of Aran and Breaking the Waves, a description I think is fairly apt. I'd throw a little Bunuel in there, perhaps. An interesting and often beautiful film, although I still don't think Rossellini lives up to his reputation.

520

#559

# 640

Dull and ineffectual for the most part, but Rossellini succeeds in making this still look fantastic.

535