''Scent of a Woman'' () is a 1974 '' commedia all'italiana'' film directed by

Dino Risi Dino Risi (23 December 1916 – 7 June 2008) was an Italian film director. With Mario Monicelli, Luigi Comencini, Nanni Loy, and Ettore Scola, he was one of the masters of ''commedia all'italiana''. Biography Risi was born in Milan. He had an ...

, based on ''Il buio e il miele'', a story by Giovanni Arpino. Both Risi and the leading actor

Vittorio Gassman Vittorio Gassman (; born Gassmann; 1 September 1922 – 29 June 2000), popularly known as , was an Italian actor, director, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the greatest Italian actors, whose career includes both important producti ...

won important Italian and French awards. An American remake, '' Scent of a Woman'', was released in 1992.

Plot

A blind Italian Captain (Fausto Consolo), accompanied by his aide Ciccio (Giovanni Bertazzi), who has been assigned to him by the army, is on his way from

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

to meet with an old comrade. He was disfigured in the same military incident that blinded the captain. Unknown to his aide, the Captain means to fulfill a suicide pact with his old comrade. While they journey, the Captain asks Ciccio to help him spot beautiful women. Unsatisfied with the boy's descriptions, he uses his nose instead, claiming that he can smell a beautiful woman. During their journey, he carries with him a picture of his beloved Sara, whom he could not bear to see him disfigured and helpless. The suicide pact is thwarted once Sara enters the picture, and the boy Ciccio does some much-needed growing up.

Cast

: Fausto Consolo * Alessandro Momo: Giovanni Bertazzi * Agostina Belli: Sara * Moira Orfei: Mirka * Torindo Bernardi: Vincenzo *

Alvaro Vitali Alvaro Vitali (; born 3 February 1950) is an Italian actor. He was an electrician until he was discovered by Federico Fellini and played a small part in ''Satyricon'' (1969), which led to other roles, notably in the movie '' Amarcord'' (1973 ...

: Vittorio

Awards and nominations

*''Profumo di donna'' was nominated for two

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...

in 1976 as Best Foreign Film and as Best Writing, Screenplay Adapted From Other Material. * David di Donatello, Best Actor (Vittorio Gassman), 1975 *David di Donatello, Best Director (Dino Risi), 1975 *

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 Actor (Vittorio Gassman), 1975 * 1975 Cannes Film Festival, Best Actor (Vittorio Gassman) * César Award for Best Foreign Film, 1976

References

External links

* * * http://www.escrevercinema.com/Risi_PerfumedeMulher.htm 1974 films 1974 comedy films 1970s Italian-language films Commedia all'italiana Best Foreign Film César Award winners Films about blind people Films directed by Dino Risi Films set in Turin Films set in Genoa Films set in Rome Films set in Naples Films with screenplays by Ruggero Maccari Films scored by Armando Trovajoli 1970s Italian films Films based on Italian novels Films based on works by Giovanni Arpino {{1970s-Italy-comedy-film-stub

Plot

Cast

Awards and nominations

See also

References

External links