''Life Begins Anew'' ( it, La vita ricomincia) is a 1945 Italian

melodrama film A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...

directed by Mario Mattoli and starring

Alida Valli Alida Maria Laura, '' Freiin'' Altenburger von Marckenstein-Frauenberg (31 May 1921 – 22 April 2006), better known by her stage name Alida Valli (or simply Valli), was an Italian actress who appeared in more than 100 films in a 70-year career, ...

Fosco Giachetti Fosco Giachetti (28 March 1900, in Sesto Fiorentino – 22 December 1974, in Rome) was an Italian actor. Fosco Giachetti was the protagonist of ''Lo squadrone bianco'' (1936), directed by Augusto Genina. He became the leading man in Fascist ...

and

Eduardo De Filippo Eduardo De Filippo (; 24 May 1900 – 31 October 1984), also known simply as ''Eduardo'', was an Italian actor, director, screenwriter and playwright, best known for his Neapolitan works ''Filumena Marturano'' and '' Napoli Milionaria''. Consid ...

. It was the second most popular Italian film during 1945-46 after

Roberto Rossellini Roberto Gastone Zeffiro Rossellini (8 May 1906 – 3 June 1977) was an Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was one of the most prominent directors of the Italian neorealist cinema, contributing to the movement with films such ...

's ''

Rome, Open City ''Rome, Open City'' ( it, Roma città aperta, also released as ''Open City'') is a 1945 Italian neorealist war drama film directed by Roberto Rossellini and co-written by Sergio Amidei, Celeste Negarville and Federico Fellini. Set in Rome in ...

''.

Plot

Paolo Martini, a doctor of chemistry and Italian veteran returns home to Rome after spending some time in a British Prisoner of War camp during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. After returning to find his son, Sandro, grown some years. He finds his wife, Patrizia, had some difficulty during his 6 years away. He also meets the Professor, their new next-door neighbor who lost his wife and daughter in the bombings of Napoli. After readjusting to his new life at home, Paolo is frightened when Patrizia suddenly disappears. After searching through Rome with the Professor, he finally finds her in custody at the police station. She has been accused of murdering a man. Patrizia admits to Paolo that during the desperate war years, she prostituted herself to pay for medicine to keep Sandro alive. Paolo is at first outraged and pushes her away. He even tried to confess to the murder to spare Patrizia, despite the advice of the investigator not to. Patrizia is eventually acquitted of the murder, but Paolo admits to wanting to leave her. The Professor's speech to Paolo at the end of the film convinces Paolo to stay and try to restart his life anew with Sandro and Patrizia.

Cast

as Patrizia Martini *

as Paolo Martini *

as Il professore *

Carlo Romano Carlo Romano (8 May 1908 – 16 October 1975) was an Italian actor, voice actor and screenwriter. Biography Born in Livorno, Romano was the son of actress Dina Romano and the younger brother of actor Felice Romano. Romano started his acting ...

as Croci *

Aldo Silvani Aldo Silvani (21 January 1891 – 12 November 1964) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in more than 110 films between 1934 and 1964. He was born in Turin, Italy and died in Milan, Italy. Selected filmography * '' Cardinal Lambertini'' ...

as Il giudice istruttore *

Nando Bruno Nando Bruno (6 October 1895 – 10 April 1963) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 84 films between 1938 and 1961. He was born in Rome, Italy and he died there. Selected filmography * ''A Lady Did It'' (1938) - Un collego di Pasquale ...

as Scorcelletti, il camionista * Anna Haardt as La baroness Magda Huberth *

Maria Donati Maria Donati (1898–1966) was an Italian stage, film and television actress.Porro & Laura p.30 Selected filmography * ''Five to Nil'' (1932) * '' The Ferocious Saladin'' (1937) * ''The Count of Brechard'' (1938) * '' Life Begins Anew'' (1945) ...

as Maria *

Ughetto Bertucci Ughetto Bertucci (18 October 1907 – 25 June 1966) was an Italian film and stage actor. He appeared in more than 40 films between 1945 and 1960. Life and career He was born and died in Rome, Italy. A fruit vendor in a Roman market square ...

as Righetto * Maurizio Ceselli as Sandrino Martini, figlio di Patrizia e Paolo

Production

The film was shot on location in war-damaged

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

. This was not because the director Mattoli wished to follow neorealist style, which he largely rejected.Gundle p.272 Interior scenes were shot at the

Palatino Studios The Safa Palatino Studios are a complex of film and television studios in the Italian capital Rome. It is owned by Mediaset, who use it for the production of television programmes. Historically, the site was used as a film studio from the 1930s to ...

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. The film was important in Giachetti's transition from one of the leading stars of the Fascist era into a figure acceptable to post-war audiences. This was partly achieved through retaining his previously strongly masculine persona which was adapted to the new conditions. Alida Valli, also a celebrated Fascist period star, received a boost from the film and went to Hollywood the following year.

References

Bibliography

* Bayman, Louis (ed.) ''Directory of World Cinema: Italy''. Intellect Books, 2011. * Gundle, Stephen. ''Mussolini's Dream Factory: Film Stardom in Fascist Italy''. Berghahn Books, 2013. * Hipkins, Danielle & Plain, Gill (eds.) ''War-torn Tales: Literature, Film and Gender in the Aftermath of World War II''. Peter Lang, 2007.

External links

* {{Mario Mattoli 1945 films 1940s Italian-language films 1945 drama films Italian black-and-white films Films shot in Naples Films set in Rome Films directed by Mario Mattoli Battle of Monte Cassino Italian drama films Melodrama films Minerva Film films Films shot at Palatino Studios 1940s Italian films