At the recent Oscars ceremony, one of the winners was ‘Call Me By Your Name’, a coming of age tale that looks to be the latest in a long line of classic movies that use Italy as a backdrop. The country’s fascinating landscapes and architecture have caught the eye of many a film-maker over the years, and so in celebration of this latest cinematic gift for Italo-philes, we thought we’d compile a list of Top 10 movies set in Italy.
However, this has proven much too difficult, and would cause too many arguments. How could anyone choose a definitive Top 10? Instead, to make it simpler, here’s 10 of the best movies set in Italy, in no particular order.
If you believe we’ve left any out, let us know in the comments below, and if you now have an urge to visit for yourself, then you can Contact Us for your own Italian experience
Roman Holiday (1953)
A true classic of cinema, and Audrey Hepburn’s introduction to the screen, it would be impossible to leave Roman Holiday off any list of top movies based in Italy. Mixing the charm of the actors with that of Rome, the movie simply shows the delight of spending a day in the city with no cares. It’s how everybody should experience Rome, and after watching Roman Holiday, it’s what everybody wants to do.
So if you’re planning a trip to the Eternal City, make sure to watch this before travelling – you’ll get the urge to be in Rome straight away.
The Great Beauty (La Grande Bellezza) (2013)
If Roman Holiday is a love letter to the innocent charm of Rome, then The Great Beauty is an exploration of the more hedonistic side that also makes the city tick. Jep Gambardella (Toni Servillo) is a middle-aged playboy who has spent most of his life enjoying himself. However, after a shock from the past on his 65th birthday, he looks back over his life in Rome, all of which he has spent looking for ‘The Great Beauty’. This could be love, sex, art, parties, but what it really is is Rome itself – a heady mix of all the good and bad.
From its opening scene on the Gianicolo, where the entire city can be seen spread out below, the scenes throughout Rome can make anybody wish to be in the city right now.
Under The Tuscan Sun (2003)
Based upon the true life memoir of Frances Mayes, Under The Tuscan Sun follows Diane Lane’s character as she does what many people wish they could do – buy a Tuscan villa, on the spur of the moment, while on vacation near Cortona. As she starts her new life we see her struggles, her relationships with the locals, and adapting to Italian life. A lot of it rings true with expats in Italy!
Obviously the Tuscan countryside scenery – filmed around Cortona and Montepluciano amongst others – is beautiful, but there’s also scenes in Florence and the Amalfi Coast to gaze upon and wish you were there.
The Talented Mr Ripley (1999)
This rather dark psychological thriller, starring Matt Damon as Tom Ripley, a sociopath with a talent for impersonation, has scenes set all over Italy, making it very easy on the eyes for Italo-philes. Rome, Venice, the Amalfi Coast and – one of our favourite places – the island of Ischia, are all sumptuously depicted. The 1950’s setting – the age of la dolce vita in Italy – adds to the magic and the feast for the eyes.
Eat Pray Love (2010)
Another movie based upon a real life memoir, Eat Pray Love follow Julia Roberts as Elizabeth Gilbert, who travels to start again and find herself after divorce. From the title, this movie could be just about Italy – the perfect place to eat, pray and love – but this time it’s just the eating portion that focuses on Italy. Which makes complete sense, with the food on offer here.
With many scenes based around the Centro Storico of Rome, using some real-life restaurants, cafes and gelaterias, it’s perfect to help you feel like you’re wandering through the small streets yourself. Also featured is the realistic chaos of Naples’ Pizzeria Da Michele, possibly the best place to eat Pizza Margherita.
Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
It might seem odd to have a movie based upon a Shakespeare play here, until you remember that The Bard set many of his works in Italy. Much Ado About Nothing was originally set in Messina, Sicily, but in Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation, the rolling hills of the Tuscan Chianti region give the scenery. It works perfectly for this light-hearted tale – certainly more perfectly than Keanu Reeves as the villain Don John.
The villa used for filming is near Greve in Chianti, and is actually now accommodation, so it offers the perfect place to stay if you love the scenery. A bonus? The villa was once owned by the Gherardini family, of whom Lisa del Giocondo – better known as Mona Lisa – was a member, so it is likely that Leonardo’s most famous muse once wandered the grounds.
Il Postino: The Postman (1994)
This tale of a shy postman who falls in love with a beautiful girl became an international hit, nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, and winning for Best Music. Massimo Troisi plays the title character who, with the help of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, wins the heart of his love using poetry. It’s not a simple love story though, and the ending can tug on the heart strings.
Using the pretty island of Procida, in the Bay of Naples, as it’s backdrop, Il Postino is one of the most beautiful settings for any film set in Italy.
Life Is Beautiful (1997)
Probably Roberto Benigni’s best known film, and most successful – it won 3 Oscars, including Best Actor and Best Foreign Language Film – Life Is Beautiful (La Vita è Bella) is a beautiful drama-comedy. Set in the Second World War, Benigni plays a Jewish-Italian father and husband who creates an illusion of a game in order to spare his son the horrors of a concentration camp.
Filmed in Arezzo, Tuscany, the scenes of Italian small city life are as charming as they are pretty, and despite the darker later content of the film, Benigni cleverly creates a beautiful, calming atmosphere – just as his character tries to for his son.
The Italian Job (1969)
Not the 2003 Hollywood remake, but the original classic British comedy crime caper. Michael Caine plays an ex-convict who concocts a plan to steal 4 million dollars from the Italian Mafia in Turin. Caine and his associates travel through the Italian Alps to Turin, where they carry out the heist. The Mini Cooper starring car chase through central Turin is one of the best car chases in cinema, and the surroundings certainly help.
The portion of the chase on the rooftop was filmed on the former Fiat test track on the Lingotto building – the former Fiat factory. The building is now a hotel and shopping mall, but the test track can still be visited, and is a treat for Fiat – and Mini Cooper – fans.
La Dolce Vita (1960)
No list of great movies set in Italy would be complete without Federico Fellini’s masterpiece. In a similar vein to 2013’s The Great Beauty, La Dolce Vita sees Marcello Mastroianni as a reporter who spends a week in Rome, searching for love and la dolce vita – the sweet life. During his search, he has various encounters with various beautiful women, and has some time for moments of reflection in between his socialising.
The scene between Mastroianni and Anita Ekberg in the Trevi Fountain has created one of cinema’s most iconic images, but good luck trying to recreate it without being fined by the watching carabinieri!
What’s your favourite movie set in Italy? If you have a particular favourite, let us know in the comments below! If we’ve inspired you to take a cinematic trip to Italy and see the scenery for yourselves, just let us know, and we’d love to help you plan your perfect Italian experience.
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