John Duncombe (Anthony Quayle), the British consul in Florence, has come home from his wife's funeral and makes the decision to tell his son Andrea (Stefano Colagrande) that his mother is dead. He hides the truth from his other son, Milo (Simone Giannozzi).
Andrea has to become a grown-up well before he should, while Milo is allowed to be a child and can act has badly as he wants. As for their father, he becomes absent from their lives until it is almost too late.
Director Luigi Comencini understands the time that exists and is so fragile between being a child and an adult. He shows how all three of these men navigate this loss in their own ways. It's a really dramatic film that made me consider how I went from a child to a grown-up and how my father made his journey as well.
This was remade in 1984 as Misunderstood with Gene Hackman in the lead role.
Andrea has to become a grown-up well before he should, while Milo is allowed to be a child and can act has badly as he wants. As for their father, he becomes absent from their lives until it is almost too late.
Director Luigi Comencini understands the time that exists and is so fragile between being a child and an adult. He shows how all three of these men navigate this loss in their own ways. It's a really dramatic film that made me consider how I went from a child to a grown-up and how my father made his journey as well.
This was remade in 1984 as Misunderstood with Gene Hackman in the lead role.