Journey to Italy (1954)
Some times all you need is Ingrid Bergman in a beautiful black and white movie from the 50s. What happens on screen is a fairly minimal quite mundane story about a married couple on a trip to Italy, mostly doing things seperately. He is out courting other women and she is pondering her unhappy marriage while getting guided tours in museums.
Beneath this loose story structure the focus is on Bergman’s character and we mostly see the marriage through her lense. How she feels like she is being taken for granted and can’t share anything with her husband. The abrupt ending may came as a surprise as it turns things around, but it does make sense. Despite it all, there is still love between them.
Perhaps Rossellini made this movie as an attempt to save his own marriage with Bergman, but that didn’t work out as they got divorced the year after. This great movie thankfully still lasts.
Rating: 4