''A Brief Vacation'' () is a 1973

melodrama A melodrama is a Drama, dramatic work in which plot, typically sensationalized for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodrama is "an exaggerated version of drama". Melodramas typically concentrate on ...

film directed by

Vittorio De Sica Vittorio De Sica ( , ; 7 July 1901 – 13 November 1974) was an Italian film director and actor, a leading figure in the neorealist movement. Widely considered one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, four of the fil ...

. The screenplay was written by

Cesare Zavattini Cesare Zavattini (20 September 1902 – 13 October 1989) was an Italian screenwriter and one of the first theorists and proponents of the Neorealist movement in Italian cinema. Biography Born in Luzzara near Reggio Emilia in northern Italy, o ...

, was inspired by an

Apollinaire Guillaume Apollinaire (; ; born Kostrowicki; 26 August 1880 – 9 November 1918) was a French poet, playwright, short story writer, novelist and art critic of Polish descent. Apollinaire is considered one of the foremost poets of the early ...

adage ("Sickness is the vacation of the poor").

Synopsis

The film concerns a female factory worker from

Calabria Calabria is a Regions of Italy, region in Southern Italy. It is a peninsula bordered by the region Basilicata to the north, the Ionian Sea to the east, the Strait of Messina to the southwest, which separates it from Sicily, and the Tyrrhenian S ...

who falls ill on the job and is prescribed a stay at a mountain retreat. She goes despite her husband's wishes, leaving behind her thankless work shift and her frustrating in-laws, but also her three children. The film addresses issues such as the

health care system A health system, health care system or healthcare system is an organization of people, institutions, and resources that delivers health care services to meet the health needs of target populations. There is a wide variety of health systems aroun ...

, labor conditions, spousal satisfaction, and

class struggle In political science, the term class conflict, class struggle, or class war refers to the economic antagonism and political tension that exist among social classes because of clashing interests, competition for limited resources, and inequali ...

Cast

Florinda Bolkan Florinda Bolkan (born Florinda Soares Bulcão; 15 February 1941) is a retired Brazilian actress and model. Early life She was born in Uruburetama and lived in Fortaleza and Rio de Janeiro until she moved to Italy. A former flight inspector fo ...

as Clara Mataro *

Renato Salvatori Renato Salvatori (20 March 1933 – 27 March 1988) was an Italian actor. Born in Seravezza, Province of Lucca, Salvatori began his career in his teens playing juvenile, romantic roles. After working with directors such as Luchino Visconti, Rob ...

as Franco Mataro, the husband * Daniel Quenaud as Luigi, Clara's lover *

José María Prada José María Prada Oterino (31 March 1925 – 13 August 1978) was a Spanish film and television actor. He appeared in more than 80 films and television shows between 1954 and 1978. Partial filmography * ''Doña María the Brave'' (1948) ...

as Dr. Ciranni *

Teresa Gimpera Teresa Gimpera i Flaquer (21 September 1936 – 23 July 2024) was a Spanish film and television actress and model of the 1960s and 1970s. Biography Teresa Gimpera Flaquer was born in Igualada, province of Barcelona, on 21 September 1936. Her ...

as Gina * Hugo Blanco as brother-in-law * Julia Peña as Edvige *

Miranda Campa Miranda Campa (31 January 1914 – 7 May 1989) was a Swiss-born Italian actress and voice actress. Life and career Born Liliana Campa Capodaglio in Geneva, the niece of actors Pio Campa and Wanda Capodaglio, Campa studied acting at the ...

as Nurse Guidotti * Angela Cardile as the redhead * Anna Carena as mother-in-law *

Monica Guerritore Monica Guerritore (born 5 January 1958) is an Italian film, theatre, and television actress. Biography Guerritore was born in Rome to a Neapolitan father and a Calabrian mother. She had her first small part in Vittorio De Sica's ''Una breve vac ...

as Maria * Maria Mizar as Nurse Garin * Alessandro Romanazzi as son *

Adriana Asti Adriana Asti (born 30 April 1931) is an Italian stage, film, and voice actress. Biography Adriana Asti appeared very young in Dino Risi's short film Buio in sala, shot in 1948. She made her theatrical debut in 1951 acting in Plautus' Miles Glo ...

as Scanziani *

Christian De Sica Christian De Sica (; born 5 January 1951) is an Italian actor, comedian, television presenter, and filmmaker. Life De Sica was born in Rome, the second son of Italian director Vittorio De Sica and Spanish actress María Mercader. His first ...

as Mariani

Critical reception

The film was nominated for

Best Foreign Language Film The following is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various films, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Bes ...

by the U.S.

National Board of Review The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures is a non-profit organization of New York City area film enthusiasts. Its awards, which are announced in early December, are considered the first major harbinger of the film awards season that ...

. Florinda Bolkan won the inaugural Best Actress prize from the

Los Angeles Film Critics Association The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) is an American film critic organization founded in 1975. Background Its membership comprises film critics from Los Angeles–based print and electronic media. In December of each year, the organi ...

for her performance.

References

External links

* 1973 films 1973 romantic drama films 1970s Italian films 1970s Italian-language films 1970s Spanish films Films directed by Vittorio De Sica Films scored by Manuel De Sica Films shot in Milan Films with screenplays by Cesare Zavattini Italian romantic drama films Spanish romantic drama films Cinema International Corporation films {{1970s-Italy-film-stub