People who want to learn a new language typically sign up for courses. In fact, you might have already registered for Italian lessons, online or in a classroom setting. As you start your studying, you might wonder if you can boost your learning by watching Italian films. To that, we say: of course, you can!
In fact, watching films exposes you to aspects of Italian culture that, as an outsider, might never experience in person. Watching Italian films also helps you immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of Italian life. In this article, Superprof delivers your all-access pass to the best films for learning the Italian language and culture.
| Number | Title | Release Year | Director | Genre | Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | L'ultimo bacio (The Last Kiss) | 2001 | Gabriele Muccino | Romantic comedy | A couple confronts life-changing news in the most damaging way possible. |
| 2 | La ragazza del lago (The Girl by the Lake) | 2007 | Andrea Molaioli | Thriller | A girl's nude body is found by the lake, draped in a blue cloth. The investigation uncovers the town's secrets. |
| 3 | La grande bellezza (The Great Beauty) | 2013 | Paolo Sorrentino | Drama | An ageing social climber starts searching for his life's meaning. |
| 4 | Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo (The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly) | 1966 | Sergio Leone | Western | Three connivers engage in a search for gold during the American Civil War. |
| 5 | La vita è bella Life is Beautiful | 1997 | Roberto Benigni | Comedy-drama | A man meets and marries the love of his life. They live happily until history takes a dark turn. |
| 6 | Lazzaro felice Happy as Lazzaro | 2018 | Alice Rohrwacher | drama | A fake kidnapping and an unlikely friendship blows the lid off of an isolated village's secrets. |
The Last Kiss (L’ultimo bacio)
🍿IMDB Rating: 6.9/10
🍅Rotten Tomatoes Score: 79%
🎬Where to Watch:
regional streaming
rent/buy
Gabriele Muccino directed this 2001 Italian film. The film follows a romantic pair of 30-somethings in the middle of a crisis. After several years living together, adultery looks set to tear the couple apart.
Critics opine that this film gives a realistic portrayal of modern relationships. You can relate to the characters and their shocking yet touching stories. The film avoids trite clichés that plague most romantic films.
This film features Giovanna Mezzogiorno and Stefano Accorsi as the couple in trouble, and Stefania Sandrelli as the unwitting usurper. The director chose a satisfying blend of Italian screen royalty and newcomers to round out the cast.
You can find out more about our Italian classes Melbourne. Some friends recently combined a movie night with an Italian lesson and couldn't stop talking about the film they watched. Why not suggest a cinema day in class to your teacher? Afterwards, we'd love to hear your thoughts on the experience. Feel free to share your impressions in the comments section below.
Fun film fact: The Last Kiss was Gabriele Muccino’s 3rd shot at directing. It didn't take home any Oscars, but it did win many international prizes, including five David di Donatello awards.
At times funny and others, profound, this film does not overdo the emotional impacts of life-changing events. A thoroughly relatable film, precisely because the story is true to life.
The Girl by the Lake (La ragazza del lago)
🍿IMDB Rating: 6.5/10
🍅Rotten Tomatoes Score: 55%
🎬Where to Watch:
regional streaming
rent/buy
The story takes place in a small town in the north of Italy. We find Anna, a 17-year-old girl, drowned by the side of the lake. Other than a blue drape, the girl is completely naked. It seems that the killer placed her there.
The film follows Detective Sanzio’s investigation as he attempts to unravel the mystery of the drowned girl. Everyone seems suspicious; they hide their secrets well, but his girl's death uncovers them all.
The Girl by the Lake is Andrea Molaioli’s first feature film. This 2007 film is an adaptation of a novel by the Norwegian author Karin Fossum. Toni Servillo, a veteran of Italian stage and screen, plays the leading role.
In addition to its thrilling elements, the movie delves into profound human stories. Detective Giovanni Sanzio battles neurasthenia while his wife, grappling with Alzheimer's, fails to recognize their daughter, her condition deteriorating daily. These themes could enrich discussions in your Italian lessons Sydney
Fun Film Fact: This film won 10 David di Donatello awards, nine for technical production values - Cinematography, Sound, and Editing, among them.
The variety of characters in this film is particularly interesting. Two of the suspects are said to have been Anna’s lovers despite Anna still seeming to be a virgin.
The Great Beauty (La grande bellezza)
🍿IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
🍅Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
🎬Where to Watch:
Streaming: Foxtel Now
Rent/Buy: Apple TV, YouTube
This film takes place in Rome. The story follows Jep Gambardella, an ageing writer who still remains popular and influential in Roman high society.
As a leading socialite, he enjoys Rome's Dolce Vita and attends all the parties in the city. This is all thanks to his one and only novel. On his 65th birthday, he starts looking for meaning in his life.
Paolo Sorrentino directed The Great Beauty in 2013. It stars Toni Servillo, Carlo Verdone, and Sabrina Ferilli. The protagonist is a modern-day Casanova trying to escape the superficial world of socialites he lives in. You might recommend this title for viewing during your Italian tutorials so you can talk about it in class.
Fun film fact: This film draws heavily on other works. For instance, Jep's line: "Who am I? There is a novel that begins like this." references André Breton's Nadja.
"The Great Beauty" captivates with its mesmerizing wit and elegant storytelling. The film masterfully showcases its protagonist against the stunning backdrop of Rome, captured in breathtaking detail.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo)
🍿IMDB Rating: 8.8/10
🍅Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
🎬Where to Watch:
Streaming: Amazon Prime Video
Rent/Buy: Apple TV, YouTube
The film takes place during the American Civil War. Three gunslingers are looking for a hidden treasure: Two of them have important information about where the treasure is buried. One is a bloodthirsty brute who’s willing to do anything it takes to outwit them.
Italian filmmaking was at its peak in the 1960s. This film is a fine example of the popular Spaghetti Western movies of the time. With excellent dialogue, brilliant music, and a fantastic cast, many consider this film a masterpiece.
All the actors in the film speak their mother tongues. Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef speak English, while Eli Wallach speaks Italian. Some people think it’s an English film. Others will say it’s an Italian film. Either way, the director was Italian and it’s not hard to find an Italian version of the film.
Discover Italian lessons online here on Superprof!
Film fun fact: Released in 1966, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is famous for being one of the best Spaghetti Westerns of all time. It’s the last film in the Dollars Trilogy. The other two titles are A Fistful of Dollars and A Few Dollars More. Sergio Leone directed all of them. You may also be interested in leaning about some of Italy's best musical talents.
Sergio Leone’s cinematography makes The Good, the Bad and the Ugly timeless. It's the kind of film you can watch again and again and again.
Life is Beautiful (La vita è bella)
🍿IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
🍅Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%
🎬Where to Watch:
Rent/Buy: Telstra TV
We find ourselves in 1939 at the start of the Second World War. Italy is under the control of the fascist government. Since they’re Jewish, Guido and his son are deported to a German concentration camp.
However, the protagonist is an optimist. He does everything he can to convince his son that they’re playing a game. This is to shield him from the horrors of life in the concentration camp.
La Vita è Bella is one of Italian cinema’s most moving pieces. The film came out in 1997; a beguiling blend of drama and comedy. It stars Roberto Benigni, who also directed. You might check if he is one of the 16 famous Italians on our favourites list.
Fun film fact: Roberto Benigni's real-life wife, Nicoletta Braschi, plays Guido's wife, Dora. In one scene, Dora calls her husband "Roberto" instead of his character's name, "Guido".
As funny as it is tragic, La Vita è Bella is a must-see film. This critically acclaimed work is the cinema magic viewers clamour for.
Happy as Lazzaro (Lazzaro felice)
🍿IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
🍅Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
🎬Where to Watch:
Streaming: Stan.
Rent/Buy: Apple TV, TouTube
The farmhands who sharecrop on a tobacco farm are perpetually in debt. Thus, the land's owner keeps their wages to offset what they owe.
The estate owner's son wishes to get back at his mother. He wouldn't mind getting his share of her money, either. He talks Lazzaro into a kidnapping plot that goes wrong in the most satisfying way.
This story is grounded in actual events. The 'heads' of an isolated village treated their farmhands like sharecroppers, keeping all their earnings, just as in the film. For such folks, the wolf is always at the door, but who, actually, is the wolf? Across Italian writers' and painters' works, similar stories often play out.
Fun film fact: the lead actor, Adriano Tardiolo, was not an actor. In fact, he was still in high school, and had never acted. Several meetings with Director Alice Rohrwacher convinced him to take the role.
This film holds a mirror up to today's all-too-prevalent conditions. A gentle soul represents the entire peasant class, with all imposed limitations painfully obvious. The film lays bare the split between modern and rural life.
Of course, these are not all the Italian films to enjoy. Whether you like a thriller or a comedy, there'll be an Italian film you should check out. Watching both older and newer films will help you learn about Italian culture as you improve your Italian language skills.
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