Malena is a beautiful and touching film that deals with the story of a woman, Malena, played by the pulchritudinous Monica Belluci, who is struggling to surpass gossip and envy in order to live an honest life despite of great difficulties; the coming of age (transition from adolescence to adulthood) of a young boy, Renato, played by Giuseppe Sulfaro, who is using Malena as object of his sexual fantasies; and the effects of war to the people.
The film’s dramatic and comedic story is well realized. The parts on how Malena fights the catastrophes in her life because of the judgmental society; how Renato explores the changes that occurred in his life due to his coming of age; and how people face the effects of the war to their lives, are impressive. By giving life to Malena’s dramatic experiences in the village (loosing a husband, being the talk of the town, becoming a prostitute in order to survive, being beaten by the town’s women, and being courageous to start life again together with the people who tattered her life); Renato’s amusing sexual fantasies (reveries on the parodies of classic movies starring himself and Malena , pursuit of long pants, desire to sit at the grown-up chair in the barber shop, stealing Malena’s underwear, incessant masturbation, and having sex with the Malena look alike at the building where prostitutes are available); and the people’s tragic experiences with war (losing homes and love ones), the film has able to present a wonderful human story.
The two leading characters show spectacular performance at what they are supposed to do or express in the film. Aside from her godlike elegance, Monica Belluci made her character as Malena with a feeling of tragedy, of unrelenting emotional suffering and pain, which remains unspoken throughout the film. With little dialogue, Belluci communicates through her facial expressions, and movement of her beautiful eyes. Renato, the teenage boy wins the audience by his genuine and valiant love for Malena. She becomes his inspiration for confronting difficult life of war-torn village.
Love, change, and courage, underlie the plot of the film. Renato, although made Malena an object of his sexual desires showed his pure and valiant love for her by treasuring her and not forgetting her for several years. Moreover, the love between Malena and her husband ties them again. Another, Malena’s courage in returning to the village is a big start of her new life. Very evident is the changes that occur in human life. These changes refer to the experiences of Renato as manifestations of his coming of age, new life that awaits Malena and her husband, the new relationship of the town people and Malena, and the new life of the people after the war.
Talking about symbols, the changes (his desire to wear long pants and to sit on the grown-up chair at the barber shop) that occur in Renato’s life are signs of manhood. His incessant masturbation represents worldly desire. It means that this activity is part of man’s growth and development as a person. Another, Malena’s returning to the village symbolizes her regaining of her dignity. It is where she lost it the time that she felt that everyone and everything turned out. Her coming back signals a new life that helps her to start again. With the acceptance shown by the villagers, Malena’s chance of regaining her dignity is approaching. .
This movie becomes the director’s instrument in confronting difficult historical and social issues that most people themselves rarely discuss. Through the characters, he was able to present these issues. As a young director, he was not afraid of dealing issues like these. More so, this film is also a reflection of the director’s personality. He rarely gives interviews. He prefers to let his work speak for itself. Having less conversation from the main protagonist, Malena, this film speaks well of its creator.
The place setting of this film is the village of Castelcuto, Sicily; and the time setting is covering the duration of the World War II. The setting gives justice to the film. In reality, people in small villages are fond of making gossips, and envy is also very rampant. In the movie, the strikingly beautiful and sensual Malena becomes the subject of all gossips and envy. Moreover the war brings several changes in the lives of the people. As a sort of history, the women disgraced woman who went with the Germans during that time once the place is liberated. This attests the beating scenes of Malena by the village’s women.
The film is filled with vulgarity like sex scenes and nudity. These contribute to the three stories conveyed by this film, which also lead to the underlying ideas of the film.
Among the characters, Renato has touched me most because of his undying admiration to Malena, that despite of the malicious suspicions of the people in the village, he remains unmoved by them. Instead, he always believes that Malena is faithful and is living a clean and honest life. His heroic deed of telling Malena’s husband about everything that happened leaves a mark in my heart. It is very evident that he wants Malena to have a peaceful and happy life. This shows that Malena is important to him although there is no chance of having her in his life. As the narrator (old Renato) says, “There were already several women that came in my life. They asked me not to forget them, and I said yes. But the one that I really cannot forget is the one who never asked.”
The film’s dramatic and comedic story is well realized. The parts on how Malena fights the catastrophes in her life because of the judgmental society; how Renato explores the changes that occurred in his life due to his coming of age; and how people face the effects of the war to their lives, are impressive. By giving life to Malena’s dramatic experiences in the village (loosing a husband, being the talk of the town, becoming a prostitute in order to survive, being beaten by the town’s women, and being courageous to start life again together with the people who tattered her life); Renato’s amusing sexual fantasies (reveries on the parodies of classic movies starring himself and Malena , pursuit of long pants, desire to sit at the grown-up chair in the barber shop, stealing Malena’s underwear, incessant masturbation, and having sex with the Malena look alike at the building where prostitutes are available); and the people’s tragic experiences with war (losing homes and love ones), the film has able to present a wonderful human story.
The two leading characters show spectacular performance at what they are supposed to do or express in the film. Aside from her godlike elegance, Monica Belluci made her character as Malena with a feeling of tragedy, of unrelenting emotional suffering and pain, which remains unspoken throughout the film. With little dialogue, Belluci communicates through her facial expressions, and movement of her beautiful eyes. Renato, the teenage boy wins the audience by his genuine and valiant love for Malena. She becomes his inspiration for confronting difficult life of war-torn village.
Love, change, and courage, underlie the plot of the film. Renato, although made Malena an object of his sexual desires showed his pure and valiant love for her by treasuring her and not forgetting her for several years. Moreover, the love between Malena and her husband ties them again. Another, Malena’s courage in returning to the village is a big start of her new life. Very evident is the changes that occur in human life. These changes refer to the experiences of Renato as manifestations of his coming of age, new life that awaits Malena and her husband, the new relationship of the town people and Malena, and the new life of the people after the war.
Talking about symbols, the changes (his desire to wear long pants and to sit on the grown-up chair at the barber shop) that occur in Renato’s life are signs of manhood. His incessant masturbation represents worldly desire. It means that this activity is part of man’s growth and development as a person. Another, Malena’s returning to the village symbolizes her regaining of her dignity. It is where she lost it the time that she felt that everyone and everything turned out. Her coming back signals a new life that helps her to start again. With the acceptance shown by the villagers, Malena’s chance of regaining her dignity is approaching. .
This movie becomes the director’s instrument in confronting difficult historical and social issues that most people themselves rarely discuss. Through the characters, he was able to present these issues. As a young director, he was not afraid of dealing issues like these. More so, this film is also a reflection of the director’s personality. He rarely gives interviews. He prefers to let his work speak for itself. Having less conversation from the main protagonist, Malena, this film speaks well of its creator.
The place setting of this film is the village of Castelcuto, Sicily; and the time setting is covering the duration of the World War II. The setting gives justice to the film. In reality, people in small villages are fond of making gossips, and envy is also very rampant. In the movie, the strikingly beautiful and sensual Malena becomes the subject of all gossips and envy. Moreover the war brings several changes in the lives of the people. As a sort of history, the women disgraced woman who went with the Germans during that time once the place is liberated. This attests the beating scenes of Malena by the village’s women.
The film is filled with vulgarity like sex scenes and nudity. These contribute to the three stories conveyed by this film, which also lead to the underlying ideas of the film.
Among the characters, Renato has touched me most because of his undying admiration to Malena, that despite of the malicious suspicions of the people in the village, he remains unmoved by them. Instead, he always believes that Malena is faithful and is living a clean and honest life. His heroic deed of telling Malena’s husband about everything that happened leaves a mark in my heart. It is very evident that he wants Malena to have a peaceful and happy life. This shows that Malena is important to him although there is no chance of having her in his life. As the narrator (old Renato) says, “There were already several women that came in my life. They asked me not to forget them, and I said yes. But the one that I really cannot forget is the one who never asked.”
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