''Splendor'' is a 1989

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

-French

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Ettore Scola Ettore Scola (; 10 May 1931 – 19 January 2016) was an Italian screenwriter and film director. He received a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film in 1978 for his film ''A Special Day'' and over ...

Plot

Jordan (

Marcello Mastroianni Marcello Vincenzo Domenico Mastroianni (26 September 1924Come da lui stesso dichiarato a 1'10" dquesta intervista/ref> – 19 December 1996) was an Italian actor. He is generally regarded as one of Italy's most iconic male performers of the 20t ...

) runs a struggling cinema called Splendor in a small town in Italy. Low ticket sales mean that the cinema is no longer a viable business, and Jordan reflects on his experiences running Splendor, from his arrival in the town as a child with his father. He meets French showgirl Chantal (

Marina Vlady Marina Vlady (born 10 May 1938) is a French actress. Biography Vlady was born in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine to White Russian immigrant parents. Her father was an opera singer and her mother was a dancer. Her sisters, now all deceased, were the a ...

) at one of her performances, and she comes to work for him as an usher. Cinephile Luigi (

Massimo Troisi Massimo Troisi (; 19 February 1953 – 4 June 1994) was an Italian actor, cabaret performer, comedian, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his works in the films '' I'm Starting back from Three'' (1981) and '' Il Postino: The ...

) repeatedly attends screenings of ''

Il Sorpasso ''Il sorpasso'' (), also titled ''The Easy Life'' in English, is a 1962 Italian comedy film co-written and directed by Dino Risi and starring Vittorio Gassman, Jean-Louis Trintignant and Catherine Spaak. It is considered Risi's masterpiece and on ...

'' in order to see Chantal, with whom he is besotted, and after a brief fling he begins working for Jordan as the projectionist. Attendance at the cinema decreases with the rise of television and Jordan considers bringing in strippers to try to solve his financial problems. Throughout are seen clips of the films shown at the cinema: ''

Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural area for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big city b ...

'', '' It's a Wonderful Life'', ''

La Grande Guerra ''The Great War'' () is a 1959 Italian comedy-drama war film directed by Mario Monicelli. It tells the story of an odd couple of army buddies in World War I; the movie, while played on a comedic register, does not hide from the viewer the horrors ...

'', ''

Amarcord ''Amarcord'' () is a 1973 comedy-drama film directed by Federico Fellini, a semi-autobiographical tale about Titta, an adolescent boy growing up among an eccentric cast of characters in the village of Borgo San Giuliano (situated near the ancien ...

'', amongst others.

Cast

as Jordan *

as Luigi *

as Chantal Duvivier *

Paolo Panelli Paolo Panelli (15 July 1925 – 18 May 1997) was an Italian comedian and film actor. He appeared in 55 films between 1948 and 1996. He was married to Bice Valori. Selected filmography * '' Guarany'' (1948) * ''Arrivederci, papà!'' (1948) * ...

as Mr. Paolo * Pamela Villoresi as Eugenia *

Giacomo Piperno Giacomo () is an Italian given name corresponding to English James. It is the Italian version of the Hebrew name Jacob. People bearing the name include: *Giacomo Acerbo (1888–1969), Italian economist and Fascist politician *Giacomo Agostini (b ...

as Lo Fazio

Awards

1989 Cannes Film Festival The 42nd Cannes Film Festival took place from 11 to 23 May 1989. West German filmmaker Wim Wenders served as jury president for the main competition. American filmmaker Steven Soderbergh won the '' Palme d'Or'', the festival's top prize, for his ...

Official Selection *

Nastro d'Argento The (plural: ''Nastri d'Argento''; English: Silver Ribbon) is an Italian film award, held since 1946 by the ''Sindacato Nazionale Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani'' (Italian National Union of Film Journalists). Awards are given annually in ...

Best Cinematography (Luciano Tovoli)

References

External links

* 1989 films 1989 drama films Films directed by Ettore Scola Films set in a movie theatre Films set in Lazio Italian drama films Self-reflexive films Films with screenplays by Ettore Scola 1980s Italian films 1980s French films Warner Bros. films Gaumont (company) films {{1980s-France-film-stub