''Violent Summer'' (, ) is a 1959 Italian–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

Valerio Zurlini Valerio Zurlini (19 March 1926 – 26 October 1982) was an Italian stage and film director and screenwriter. Biography During his law studies in Rome, he started working in the theatre. In 1943, he joined the Italian resistance. Zurlini bec ...

, his second feature film. Set in the Italian seaside resort of

Riccione Riccione (; ) is a (municipality) in the Province of Rimini, Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. Riccione is centred on the Rio Melo, a minor river that flows into the Adriatic Sea. In the decades following the construction of the Bologna–Ancona r ...

in July 1943, it depicts a love affair between a prominent Fascist's young draft-dodging son, portrayed by

Jean-Louis Trintignant Jean-Louis Xavier Trintignant (; 11 December 1930 – 17 June 2022) was a French actor. He made his theatrical debut in 1951, and went on to be regarded as one of the best French dramatic actors of the post-World War II, war era. He starred in m ...

, and a naval officer's widow, older than he, portrayed by

Eleonora Rossi Drago Eleonora Rossi Drago, born Palmina 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 '' The Facts of Mur ...

Plot

Carlo, 21 years old and exempted from military service, is spending the summer in his father's empty villa and relaxing with friends in

, a seaside town untouched by the war. When a German aircraft flies low over the beach, people panic and Carlo comforts a frightened little girl. She is reclaimed by her mother Roberta, a 30 year old widow of a heroic naval officer. Carlo and Roberta are attracted to each other and he asks her out, taking her for a trip to the neutral state of

San Marino San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino, is a landlocked country in Southern Europe, completely surrounded by Italy. Located on the northeastern slopes of the Apennine Mountains, it is the larger of two European microstates, microsta ...

, although he has a girlfriend, Rossana. Roberta's mother warns her to avoid him because his father is a vicious

Fascist Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural soci ...

party boss and his mother was a promiscuous film actress. Roberta's younger sister-in-law Maddalena arrives as a refugee from the fighting in the south, and Roberta asks Carlo's friends to let her join them. They all go to a circus, which is interrupted by an air raid, so Carlo asks everybody back to his father's villa. In the blackout, couples dance to the music of ''

Temptation Temptation is a desire to engage in short-term urges for enjoyment that threatens long-term goals.Webb, J.R. (Sep 2014). Incorporating Spirituality into Psychology of temptation: Conceptualization, measurement, and clinical implications. Sp ...

''. Hesitant at first, Roberta eventually ends up in the garden in the arms of Carlo, and they kiss, caught by Rossana. When news comes of the fall of the Fascist regime, jubilant citizens sack the party headquarters, toppling the bust of

Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his overthrow in 194 ...

. Carlo's father flees and the villa is requisitioned to house refugees. Carlo and Roberta spend the night making love on the deserted beach. When she returns home, both Maddalena and her mother express their disapproval of the affair, to which she replies, that nobody had cared when she was married to an older man, and that for the first time in her life she is happy. Maddalena refuses to stay in Roberta's and her mother's villa any longer and leaves town. Meeting again on the beach after curfew, Carlo and Roberta are arrested by an army patrol, who discover that Carlo's exemption has expired. They release him on the promise that he will report for service at

Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...

next day. Roberta, afraid to lose Carlo, persuades him to come with her to her empty villa in

Rovigo Rovigo (, ; ) is a city and communes of Italy, commune in the region of Veneto, Northeast Italy, the capital of the province of Rovigo, eponymous province. Geography Rovigo stands on the low ground known as Polesine, by rail southwest of Veni ...

and hide from the draft. The reluctant Carlo explains that his place had always been with the crowd, but eventually gives in. Their journey is interrupted by an air raid, and due to the damage, all trains are cancelled except those heading back south. Roberta enters the train back to Riccione, where she left her daughter. Carlo stays behind, trying to make her understand why he must stay. He expresses his hope that they will meet again, but Roberta replies that she is convinced that their parting is final.

Cast

as Roberta *

as Carlo *

Enrico Maria Salerno Enrico Maria Salerno (18 September 1926 – 28 February 1994) was an Italian actor, voice actor and film director. He was also the voice of Clint Eastwood in the Italian version of Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy films, and the voice of Chris ...

as Carlo's father *

Jacqueline Sassard Jacqueline Sassard (13 March 1940 – 17 July 2021) was a French actress who appeared in Italian films such as '' Guendalina'' directed by Alberto Lattuada, a young woman with family and financial troubles in Luigi Zampa's '' Il Magistrato'' an ...

as Rossana *

Lilla Brignone Lilla Brignone (23 August 1913 – 24 March 1984) was an Italian film and theater actress. She appeared in 40 films between 1930 and 1982. Her father was film director and actor Guido Brignone and her aunt was actress Mercedes Brignone. He ...

as Roberta's mother *

Federica Ranchi Federica Ranchi (5 May 1939 – 15 May 2025) was an Italian actress. Life and career Born in Trieste, while a student at liceo linguistico Ranchi was noted by a Cines employee through a picture of her ballet company, and subsequently won an ...

as Maddalena * Raf Mattioli as Giorgio

Release

''Violent Summer'' was released in Italian cinemas in November 1959. A DVD containing both Zurlini's ''Violent Summer'' and '' Girl with a Suitcase'' was released by the label

NoShame NoShame, or NoShame Films, was an Italian-American company specializing in releasing authoritative editions of cult Italian movies on DVD. History NoShame Films started its office in Italy and opened an office in Los Angeles, California the foll ...

in 2006.

Awards

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 Actress (Eleonora Rossi Drago), Best Score ( Mario Nascimbene) *

Mar del Plata Film Festival The Mar del Plata International Film Festival () is an List of film festivals, international film festival that takes place every November in the city of Mar del Plata, Argentina. It is the only competitive feature festival recognized by the FIAPF ...

: Best Actress (Eleonora Rossi Drago)

References

External links

* {{Valerio Zurlini 1959 films 1959 drama films French black-and-white films Italian black-and-white films 1950s Italian-language films War romance films Italian Campaign of World War II films Titanus films Films set in Italy Films set in Emilia-Romagna Films directed by Valerio Zurlini Films with screenplays by Suso Cecchi d'Amico Films scored by Mario Nascimbene