''Behind Closed Shutters'' ( it, Persiane chiuse) is a 1951 Italian
crime
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Ca ...
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melodrama film
A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...
directed by
Luigi Comencini
Luigi Comencini (; 8 June 1916 – 6 April 2007) ''The Guardian'' was an Italian
and starring
Massimo Girotti
Massimo Girotti (18 May 1918 – 5 January 2003) was an Italian film actor whose career spanned seven decades.
Born in Mogliano, in the province of Macerata, Girotti developed his athletic physique by swimming and playing polo. While studying eng ...
,
Eleonora Rossi Drago
Eleonora Rossi Drago, born Palmira Omiccioli, (23 September 1925 – 2 December 2007) was an Italian film actress. She was born in Quinto al Mare, Genoa, Italy, and had the leading role in '' Le amiche''. She appeared in ''Un maledetto imbr ...
and
Giulietta Masina
Giulia Anna "Giulietta" Masina (22 February 1921 – 23 March 1994) was an Italian film actress best known for her performances as Gelsomina in ''La Strada'' (1954) and Cabiria in ''Nights of Cabiria'' (1957), for which she won the Cannes Film F ...
.Barattoni p. 224
Plot
Sandra (Rossi Drago) searches for her missing sister. For this, she enters the morally degraded seaside of
Genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...
.
Turin: Sandra, daughter of a guardian, is engaged to Roberto, employed in a construction company. The girl has a sister, Lucia, who has been estranged from home following a relationship deemed illicit. A friend of Lucia is killed and thrown into the Po; Desperate Lucia tries to commit suicide, in agony she telephones and asks Sandra for help. To find Lucia, Sandra asks for help from the ambiguous Edmondo, known in the prostitution world. Edmondo recognizes Lucia's photo, but does not reveal it to Sandra. The reality is bitter: Lucia is employed by Primavera, an exploiter. Edmondo tries to prevent Sandra from finding her sister; Lured into a local misunderstanding, Sandra is arrested in a police roundup. Released she manages to reconnect with the exploiters who offer a ransom to free Lucia.
A happy but daring ending with a shooting in the port of Genoa.
Cast
*
Massimo Girotti
Massimo Girotti (18 May 1918 – 5 January 2003) was an Italian film actor whose career spanned seven decades.
Born in Mogliano, in the province of Macerata, Girotti developed his athletic physique by swimming and playing polo. While studying eng ...
as Roberto
*
Eleonora Rossi Drago
Eleonora Rossi Drago, born Palmira Omiccioli, (23 September 1925 – 2 December 2007) was an Italian film actress. She was born in Quinto al Mare, Genoa, Italy, and had the leading role in '' Le amiche''. She appeared in ''Un maledetto imbr ...
as Sandra
*
Giulietta Masina
Giulia Anna "Giulietta" Masina (22 February 1921 – 23 March 1994) was an Italian film actress best known for her performances as Gelsomina in ''La Strada'' (1954) and Cabiria in ''Nights of Cabiria'' (1957), for which she won the Cannes Film F ...
Renato Baldini
Renato Baldini (18 December 1921 – 5 July 1995) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 87 films between 1950 and 1983. He was born in Rome, Italy.
Selected filmography
* ''It's Forever Springtime'' (1950) - Un carabiniere al processo
...
Renato Baldini
Renato Baldini (18 December 1921 – 5 July 1995) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 87 films between 1950 and 1983. He was born in Rome, Italy.
Selected filmography
* ''It's Forever Springtime'' (1950) - Un carabiniere al processo
...