''Malèna'' is a nice movie starring Monica Bellucci, one of her greatest roles in the movies, that also projected her to the United States. (Since she was limited to European films until then)
Set in 1940 during World War II, just as Italy enters the war, we see through the eyes of the boy Renato, the story of Malèna, a beautiful woman who's moved to his Sicilian town to be with her husband Nico. But as soon as they move, Nino leaves to serve in the war, leaving Malena sad but having to deal with it. Being desired by the men and criticized by the women, a lot of gossips about Malena's life are made by the people from town, and basically all of them are bad things. And her only sin is to be beautiful. During the next few years, Renato grows toward manhood and he watches Malèna suffer more and more: her loneliness and sadness, specially when Nico is reported dead, the effects of the gossips on her relationship with her father, the poverty she eventually reaches and even her search for work, that ends in prostitution.
The irony of the story, is that only Renato, a young boy who cannot help Malena, knows that she is a good person and that she was forced to do many of the things even to survive.
But Spite of the many sad things that Malena needs to handle, and also showing the humiliations she suffers, the final message of the movie is positive, being about forgiveness and "redemption", since at the end of the movie, Malena's life returned to normal, not only having her husband Nico back, but also being treated very well by the townspeople.
Set in 1940 during World War II, just as Italy enters the war, we see through the eyes of the boy Renato, the story of Malèna, a beautiful woman who's moved to his Sicilian town to be with her husband Nico. But as soon as they move, Nino leaves to serve in the war, leaving Malena sad but having to deal with it. Being desired by the men and criticized by the women, a lot of gossips about Malena's life are made by the people from town, and basically all of them are bad things. And her only sin is to be beautiful. During the next few years, Renato grows toward manhood and he watches Malèna suffer more and more: her loneliness and sadness, specially when Nico is reported dead, the effects of the gossips on her relationship with her father, the poverty she eventually reaches and even her search for work, that ends in prostitution.
The irony of the story, is that only Renato, a young boy who cannot help Malena, knows that she is a good person and that she was forced to do many of the things even to survive.
But Spite of the many sad things that Malena needs to handle, and also showing the humiliations she suffers, the final message of the movie is positive, being about forgiveness and "redemption", since at the end of the movie, Malena's life returned to normal, not only having her husband Nico back, but also being treated very well by the townspeople.