This movie sensitively depicts the relationship between a mother and daughter and the daughter’s sudden coming of age.
Sophia Loren is Cesira, a shopkeeper in 1943 Rome. Her daughter, whom Cesira is very protective of, is 13 year old Rosetta, a typical little girl.
The allies bomb Rome in preparation for their invasion. Down the street from her shop, a building is blown down, leaving some of her customers homeless. The steel gate over her shop door is also twisted by the blast. Cesira has to decide whether to stay in Rome or go home to her native country village.
While she is deciding, she pays a call on Raf Vallone, a coal vendor, who seduces her on the floor of his grimy shop and then tries to give her a present of coal. Sophia angrily throws the coal back into his shop.
Cesira decides to go back to her village. When Cesira and Rosetta arrive, they find people living at a very low standard of living, but they are surviving, mostly on a diet of bread and wine or water.
She meets Michele, an intellectual student, played by Jean Paul Belmondo. Michele is called "The Professor" by his family and friends. He is an anti-fascist and outspoken critic of the war. Cesira is attracted to him somewhat, but he is attracted to her more. She rebuffs his clumsy advances.
The Germans come across the country, fleeing the allied advance from Anzio. They take Michele at gunpoint for their guide. Later, Cesira hears that Michele has been killed.
Thinking the danger is over, Cesira decides to return to Rome. Mother and daughter begin their long trek back. As they advance up the road on foot, they are passed by a column of allied Moroccans in jeeps who almost run them over, amid ogling and catcalls. Towards nightfall, the two women look for shelter and enter an abandoned church. As they prepare to retire, and Cesira tenderly tucks in Rosetta, the Moroccans enter from all sides. The women try to resist, but the troops beat them and then gang rape them throughout the night. The two women are left nearly dead by the ordeal.
When they are able to get on their feet, Cesira tenderly ministers to her daughter, still rigid and withdrawn from shock. They continue their trek. A passing Italian truck driver named Florindo offers them a ride. As they drive toward Rome, he draws them out and gets them to sing along with him. This seems to break the spell on Rosetta. They stop at Florindo’s home to rest for the night. The two women retire, exhausted. Cesira awakes in the morning alone. She finds a pair of silk stockings and goes out looking for Rosetta. Florindo’s mother tells her the two went out dancing. Sophia sits down, dejected, to wait. Much later, Rosetta returns. Cesira confronts Rosetta and slaps her when she gives her a sullen answer. They both suddenly realize Rosetta is a woman now. Both women collapse in each others arms, the tension broken.
"Two Women" is a remarkable slice of life and show the great acting ability Sophia Loren possesses -- ability too often hidden in eye-candy roles. Very rarely are beauty and talent merged in one character. In this performance you will see that Sophia Loren apart from her breathtaking beauty is also a tremendous actress, and one that a lot of current actresses should study and take note of. Sophia deservedly won a Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of Cesira.
The most irritating thing I can say about "Two Women" is the poor quality of the VHS tapes that are available for this classic. The tape is apparently only distributed by low-bucks companies that record it in super slow speed to save a few pennies on tape. This results in poor quality overall, both sound and video, and this movie and others, like Zulu, the Third Man, and Thirty-nine Steps, deserve much better. Hollywood, please take note!
Moroccan soldiers rape a mother and daughter leaving World War II Rome. Directed by Vittorio De Sica. Best actress Oscar for Loren.More at HotMovieSale.com
Two Women - Dvd - Pupella Maggio,andrea Checchi,emma Baron,luciano Pigozzi,carlo Ninchi,sophia Loren,eleanora Brown,jean-paul Belmondo,raf Vallone,ren...More at Target
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