A Movie That Makes The Heart Sing: A Room With A View

A magical movie, A Room With A View, is one of my favourite films related to Italy.
Set mostly in Italy in that most romantic of eras – the Edwardian – it shows the beautiful Tuscan scenery off to perfection, as well as telling a meaningful love story.

‘Only connect’ was E.M. Forster’s mantra and A Room With A View demonstrates the importance of truly connecting with another country and telling the difference between true love and its shadow.

Lucy Honeychurch (Helena Bonham-Carter) travels to Florence with her rather stiff and reserved Aunt Charlotte (Maggie Smith). She is soon to be married to Cecil (Daniel Day-Lewis) who is fairly ‘wet’ and superior. He is getting on Lucy’s nerves when she leaves.

Innocent and conservative, Lucy has hidden depths and plays the piano with great feeling. In Florence they join a novel-writer (Judy Dench), an amusing vicar (Simon Callow) and the unconventional Mr.Emerson (Denham Elliot) and his extremely handsome blonde and blue-eyed son, George (Julian Sands). Mr. Emerson insists that Charlotte and Lucy have a room with a view so that they can enjoy the beauty of Florence from their room.

Lucy is so deeply affected by the splendour of the buildings and the culture of Florence which is so different from her restrained corner of England that she faints when she suddenly sees a man injured from a fight. She soon rallies, however, and she finds herself increasingly attracted to the gorgeous George. She’s especially attracted when he suddenly kisses her extremely passionately.

Charlotte soon puts a stop to this, however, and Lucy returns to England and Cecil.
Here her memories of her romantic time in Italy with its horse-drawn carriage rides through shimmering fields, beauty and art, and most of all, her passion for George, haunt her. She starts having doubts about Cecil.

When George returns Lucy has to make a choice between a practical life with Cecil or giving way to her deepest emotions. Who will win?

A classic Merchant/ Ivory production, A Room With A View, was made twenty-two years ago. In my opinion, it could never date and it’s impossible to surpass. The acting, photography and adaptation are all excellent. However, the incorrigible Andrew Davies has written a new version which is supposed to be ‘fresh and engaging, for a modern audience.’ I was 25 when the movie was made and resent not being regarded as ‘modern’ but I will look at it.

If you want a movie to make your heart sing, watch A Room With A View.

Other Favourites

What are some of your favourite movies set in Italy?

Set in various parts of Italy including Rome, Venice, Campania and Sicily it tells the story of Tom Ripley, a young underachiever, who is sent to Europe to retrieve a rich and spoiled millionaire playboy. But unable to do so, Ripley kills the playboy and assumes his life.

It starts a number of good American and Italian actors including Fiorello, one of Italy's most popular contemporary comedians.

daydreambeliever, why not go to the thread I started http://my.lifeinitaly.com/showthread...=4883#post4883 and show us the views from your room in Australia

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"Enchanted April," an English film set in Tuscany, I believe, is also a good one. My favorite, isn't "set" in Italy,but is actually Italian--"The Bicycle Thief." Black and white. It shows sad, lonely, poor but nevertheless beautiful Rome just after WWII, before tourism returned.

When I told a court here in San Francisco that it was my favorite film, I was dismissed from jury duty on a case where the defendant was accused of stealing a bike. Available in video.-Romano

I mostly like comedies here is a list form my movie page
http://www.lifeinitaly.com/italian-movies/best.asp

Here are some of the best Italian movies in the comedy category:


La Grande Guerra ( Sordi / Gassman )
Il Ciclone ( Pieraccioni )
Ricomincio da Tre Troisi's Masterpiece
Cosi' e' la Vita ( Aldo Giovanni e Giacomo )
Febbre da Cavallo ( a light comedy )
Amici Miei ( An Italian classic )
Il Professor Guido Tersilli ( Il medico della mutua) Sordi
Maledetto il giorno che ti ho incontrato ( Verdone / Buy )
Pane Amore e Fantasia - A masterpiece in this field
Bello Onesto immigrato Australia sposerebbe paesana illibata
Toto' Truffa '62
L' armata Brancaleone
C'eravano Tanto Amati -
Brancaleone alle Crociate
La Scuola (1995) - Silvio Orlando
Non ci Resta che Piangere (1984) -
Manuale D' Amore


Donlt forget to rent "Pane e Tulipani" if you want to see a movie taking place in Venice


Here is a piece from Ricomincio da Tre

A slightly romantic view of Tuscanny, I like this movie because of its emotional content and the way that translates into the landscape and the villa that the heroine comes to own. I like the suddenness of her decision to stay back in Italy after just coming for a tour, and though a lot of the landscape looks obviously romanticized, it still retains a magical quality that is uniquely Italian.

Having looked at the responses so far, almost all the fav movies seemed to be set in Tuscanny!

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I also like this movie very much - especially the heroine's romance with the Italian man!

Another one I like is 'Only You', but this is very cliched. I only like it because I'm such a romantic.

Under the Tuscan Sun represent the stereotype of what American expect about life in Tuscany.


Bubbles : Now that you speak Italian try to get a copy of "Il Ciclone" with Pieraccioni

Only You: I saw it years ago I remember a red Fiat 500 and a funny silly movie ..that is all.

Il Ciclone :

It is a funny, silly movie but I liked the idea behind it and I think that Robert Downey, Jr. is very cute!

'Journey to Italy' is a good movie about a troubled married couple and how Italy affects them and gives them a different outlook on things.

I'll have to say the Bicycle Thief is one of the most outstanding films I've ever seen and I had to study it in film school. Seven Beauties..oh ! Is incredible with giancarlo giannini (my favorite). My husband LOVES TOTO. I haven't yet seen all of the Lina Wertmuller films but want to. There's some good italian films at blockbuster but it may depend on where you live here in the US.