REVIEW: Finding love, celebrity, romance in 1960s Italy in ‘I Knew Her Well’

There’s a certain sadness that permeates Antonio Pietrangeli’s I Knew Her Well, an exploration of love and romance in 1960s Italy. The movie, which finishes its run at New York City’s Film Forum today, Feb. 11, follows Adriana (Stefania Sandrelli, from Divorce Italian Style and The Conformist) through multiple relationships with a variety of men, all of them uninterested in truly understanding the protagonist of the story (in other words, they don’t “know her well”).

Pietrangeli, working off a script he wrote with Ruggero Maccari and Ettore Scola, has the action flow freely from scene to scene. Adriana is first seen bathing on a garbage-strewn beach, whiling away the day and taking in some sun rays. From there, nearly two hours of many encounters and friendships are showcased, several of them fleeting, a few lasting over several days. She dances with these men, impresses them with her acting skills, becomes intimate and enjoys the opportunity to befriend, flirt and live. With the movie being set in the 1960s, and featuring an infectious Italian pop soundtrack, there’s a feeling of sexual liberation and newfound identity in I Knew Her Well, but still that sadness exists. Adriana seems to be searching for something or someone, and these many relationships don’t offer much in the way of answers to her questions.

One major complication for Adriana is the fact that she isn’t taken seriously for her professional ambitions. She attends parties, photo shoots, acting classes and even grabs the attention of several VIPs. However, there’s always a tongue-in-cheek sentiment when she tries to advance her career and create something important. One scene has her watching her newly shot commercial with her friends at a movie theater. She’s horrified by the patronizing humor of the piece, which pokes fun at her ripped stockings and replays her unrefined answers to questions.

Throughout the film, Adriana takes time to joke with her neighbor’s baby; visit her parents in a much poorer, rural setting; and explore Rome and its opportunities in this new decade. Throughout her questing, Pietrangeli does not offer many pauses; Adriana lives a life of nonstop interaction, and that makes the few moments she’s able to consider how her story fits into a larger societal picture that much more profound. Perhaps the most tender moment is when Adriana befriends a boxer for a few minutes. They come close to understanding each other, but once again, she leaves and heads on with her life.

Sandrelli plays this young woman with simultaneous strength and fragility. It’s a powerful performance, one that allows closer inspection and consideration for how this character can be upset while seemingly enjoying everything life throws her way. It’s one of those classic Italian performances.

The cinematography, in beautiful and transfixing black and white, is every bit as memorable as Sandrelli’s anchoring performance. The dance parties, apartments, streets and landscapes are gorgeously lensed, offering an artistic portrait of a woman and a city living and breathing together. Federico Fellini fans will surely see parallels. The two auteurs are cut from the same creative thread.

There are two ways to experience I Knew Her Well, which will soon be released on DVD and Blu-ray by the Criterion Collection. One is to take the movie as a postcard from another era, another place — a detailed account of a unique time period on the cusp of social revolution and liberation. Another take is to consider Adriana as a forlorn character who can’t seem to discover her place in the world; it’s a sad, almost heartbreaking portrait of someone who struggles to fit in, advance and find what she’s been looking for ever since leaving her humble beginnings.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

• I Knew Her Well
• 1965
• Directed by Antonio Pietrangeli
• Written by Pietrangeli, Ruggero Maccari and Ettore Scola
• Starring Stefania Sandrelli, Mario Adorf, Jean-Claude Brialy, Karin Dor, Robert Hoffmann, Franco Nero, Enrico Maria Salerno, Joachim Fuchsberger and Nino Manfredi
• Running time: 115 minutes
• Not Rated
• Rating: