Il bell’Antonio

Antonio, a womanizer, returns to his native Sicily after spending several years in the capital. Old-fashioned notions of morality, honor, and marriage still prevail there. Yet, he agrees to marry the beautiful Barbara the moment he sees her picture. When no children arrive after a few months, it becomes clear that a secret lies hidden behind the facade of his ostentatious machismo—a secret that soon threatens to shatter his social standing as well. Subtle irony and melancholy expose a world trapped between Catholicism, social ambition, and tradition. Claudia Cardinale establishes a counterpoint to this with remarkable clarity and dignity. The result is a precise, still strikingly modern portrait of male insecurity and collective conformity.
(Florian Widegger)