Claudia Cardinale and Marcello Mastroianni: Because He Doesn't Know How To Love
The stunning Claudia Cardinale and handsome Marcello Mastroianni were two of Italy's biggest stars in the 1960s. Marcello and Cardinale made 5 films together, two of which are here: ll bell'Antonio and Otto e mezzo (8 1/2) both outstanding films although the latter is much more famous and considered one of the top 5-10 films ever by many. The two films both deal with a man who, as Claudia puts it in 8 1/2, "he doesn't know how to love". (The scene is right after the credits at 10:50...but I don't have the English dubbed version available...so I don't play the dialogue). In 8 ½ Guido is a director in a personal crisis. He has many women in his life but doesnt quite know where he is heading or where his film project is about until the dream girl, Claudia, becomes reality and tells him. He has no role for her (his fantasy girl) as he embraces his new reality.
Fellini is famous for his caricature style and his love of the circus. In films like La Strada and 8 ½, he finds a way to include elements of the circus as in the conclusion of 8 ½ the circus ring becomes Guido's world and brings closure to the film. Il bell'Antonio is a classic Sicilian tale of a Lothario-type character (Marcello plays Antonio) who falls in love (or does he?) and fails at it. He is impotent and his wife (CC plays Barbara) leaves him after a brief marriage. Instead Antonio gets the maid pregnant which becomes the reason for family and friends to celebrate. But Antonio realizes he really loves Barbara whom he will never see again. A very underrated director, Mauro Bolognini is a master of social/romantic modern dramas. He directed CC in four films of which Bell'Antonio is considered his masterpiece.
8 ½ will come out this winter as "Nine" a much-anticipated music re-make with Daniel Day-Lewis and Nicole Kidman playing the roles of the two screen icons. Marcello had affairs with Sophia Loren and Catherine Deneuve. Marcello tragically died in 1996 from pancreatic cancer. CC is a very private person who spurned the advances of her co-stars on the set including Marcello (who was madly in love with her), Alain Delon, Jean-Paul Belmondo and even Rock Hudson (reportedly she was the only women he fell for and he was very protective of her). By her own words, she never really married but had two children (out of wedlock) and today still works in film and for womens rights as a UN Goodwill Ambassador. For those who admire stars who give back and also strive to keep their integrity (Audrey Hepburn, Hedy Lamarr, even Angelina Jolie today), we know not every star burns out and falls from the sky.
Because of Fellini and I love Journey's music, "Faithfully" is a perfect choice (love and the "circus" that surrounds our lives). Bryan Adams croons "Please Forgive Me" about a man's shortcomings. I had another choice in between, but it won't be accepted by youtube so Vangelis's pretty melody (La Petite Fille sur de la Mer) is in between as they get marriage.