Book-ended by a heavy handed, inorganic and forced opening sequence and a rushed and unbelievable closing scene this has moments of brilliance - mainly in the beautifully incorporated symbolism (for instance, the scene at the ruins where they walk out together, seemingly broken apart). The dialogue is fairly droll, and the "romanticism" in some of the poetry is uninventive, but the cynical, ill-natured mood more than makes up for it in places. Infrequently good, but worth it.

86

#87

The soundtrack & setting make this watchable but I'm afraid I don't see the appeal of the story or the lead performances.

The documentary aspects of the film are the best part, but they were too short and sporadic to really have an impact on my enjoyment of the film. Everything else is merely ok, the acting has its moments but it's also bland a lot of the time and the lip syncing is distracting. The camerawork is surprisingly amateurish, with a lot of needless cuts and some really awkward movement. The story is somewhat unfocused and the ending is mediocre.

A domestic drama, simple but realistic (except for the unconvincing ending) and well-played by Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders. It's a rocky marriage and the ebb and flow of their interactions rings true. It's somewhat Bergman-esque (Ingmar, that is). Thrown into the mix is an Italian travelogue, which is kind of nice but it's peppered with really, really obvious symbolism. I thought it was a fine movie, well-paced and never tedious, but I don't see what the big deal is.

# 81

How is this not awful? Granted, the photography and soundtrack are lovely, but the dramatic elements, script, casting...awful - I don't understand casting George Sanders in this sort of role. It deserves a lower rating, but I've been far too kind to other films.

86

# 75