''Misunderstood'' () is a 1966 Italian

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

Luigi Comencini Luigi Comencini (; 8 June 1916 – 6 April 2007) was an Italian film director. Together with Dino Risi, Ettore Scola, and Mario Monicelli, he was considered among the masters of the "commedia all'italiana" genre. His daughters Cristina Comencin ...

. It was entered into the

1967 Cannes Film Festival The 20th Cannes Film Festival took place from 27 April to 12 May 1967. Italian filmmaker Alessandro Blasetti served as jury president for the main competition. The ''Grand Prix du Festival International du Film'', then the fetival's main prize, ...

Plot

Duncombe is the UK Consul General in

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

, Italy. He becomes a widower when his two sons, Andrew and Miles, are still children. Andrew, the elder, apparently reacts with adult maturity to the loss of his mother, looking after little Miles, an attempt to find a way out of such premature heart-crushing loss. Miles constantly blames Andrew for his mischievous behavior but his brother valiantly takes said blame as his personality is that of a grown up, or at least that is what he tries to be. The father, given his mandate, is often absent, both physically and emotionally, especially toward Andrew. It will be at the end that Duncombe will acknowledge his mistakes when finding himself at a father's point of no return.

Cast

Anthony Quayle Sir John Anthony Quayle (7 September 1913 – 20 October 1989) was a British actor. He was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his supporting role as Thomas Wolsey in the film '' Anne of the Thousand Days'' (1969). He also played impor ...

(dubbed by

Romolo Valli Romolo Valli (7 February 1925 – 1 February 1980) was an Italian actor. Valli was born in Reggio Emilia. He was one of the best-known Italian actors from the 1950s to his death. He worked for both the stage and the silver screen. Among the ...

) as John Duncombe * Stefano Colagrande as Andrew * Simone Giannozzi as Miles * John Sharp as Uncle William * Adriana Facchetti as Luisa * Anna Maria Nardini as little girl in a movie theatre * Silla Bettini as a Judo teacher * Rino Benini as Casimirio *

Giorgia Moll Giorgia Moll (born 14 January 1938) is an Italian film actress. She was sometimes credited as Georgia Moll and Georgia Mool. Background Moll was born in Prata di Pordenone to a German father and an Italian mother. At a young age, she began a b ...

as Miss Judy *

Graziella Granata Graziella Granata (born 16 March 1941) is an Italian retired film and stage actress. Career After graduating at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, and after some secondary roles in adventure films and comedies, thanks to a film contract ...

as Dora

References

External links

* 1966 films 1966 drama films Italian drama films 1960s Italian-language films Films about brothers Films about death Films about dysfunctional families Films about children Films directed by Luigi Comencini Films set in Florence Films produced by Angelo Rizzoli Films scored by Fiorenzo Carpi 1960s Italian films {{1960s-Italy-film-stub