For my second Italy assignment I decided to watch two movies in order to see a couple of different views of Italy and Italians. I watched an American movie – Under the Tuscan Sun and an Italian movie – Bread and Tulips. Not much to my surprise the films did not really provide me with an incredibly new outlook on Italy or Italians – many stereotypes, not necessarily bad ones but nothing particularly knew. However, watching both of the films reminded me to open, willing, and excited to being a wonderful journey into a new, foreign country and culture.
Under the Tuscan Sun is a cute film with Diane Lane as Frances. Frances goes through a divorce and her friends decide that she should take their tickets and go on a vacation to Italy. Once in Italy she decides to stay, live in Italy, and really experience the culture (Don’t worry mom and dad – I will be really experiencing Italy myself but I will come home…eventually.). As the movie continues Frances learns to take risks, experience new things, develop new friendships, and she learns more about life. Frances discovers much about Italian culture and much of Italy. In doing so, Frances learns not only more about Italy, its people, and culture but she learns more about herself in her discoveries and experiences in another country.
Bread and Tulips is a funny and yet somewhat depressive film about a house-wife’s journey to self-discovery. The movie begins with Rosalba, the housewife played by Licia Maglietta, on a vacation with her family. Rosalba is having a difficult vacation and nothing is really going in her favor. At the end of the day the last blow comes when she is accidentally left behind by her tour bus at a rest stop. Rosalba does not have a cell phone and she must call her husband from a pay phone. When she calls him, he ends up blaming her for missing the bus. However, they do not return to retrieve her and she must take a train back home. Through a series of events, missing trains on accident and ultimately a decision by Rosalba to stay in Venice, she does not make it back to her home. Rosalba is befriended by a suicidal older man who allows her to stay with him and helps her get a job in Venice. Rosalba’s husband is irate that she is staying in Venice and not at home being a house wife. Through the sadness of Rosalba’s unhappiness at home – commanding and cheating husband and the older man’s, Fernando’s, loneliness is enough to make the film depressing. However, both Rosalba and Fernando change their unfortunate dispositions and begin to discover life and the joy it brings. They both take advantage of new experiences and opportunities. Ultimately the learn more about life and better their lives.
And that my friends, is something I would like to accomplish while in Italy. I want to embrace and learn about a new country, its people, and culture. I also want to really allow myself to take advantage of every opportunity and experience allotted me while in Italy. Italy is sure to be a wonderful place with wonderful people and I am ready to leave for my next, new adventure in life – 4 days until Italy!
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