''Time of Indifference'' () is a 1964 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

Francesco Maselli Francesco Maselli (9 December 1930 – 21 March 2023), also known as Citto Maselli, was an Italian film director and screenwriter. Biography Born into a well educated family (his father was an art critic) originally from the Molise region, Mase ...

starring

Claudia Cardinale Claude Joséphine Rose Cardinale (; born 15 April 1938), known as Claudia Cardinale (), is an Italian actress. Born and raised in La Goulette, a neighbourhood of Tunis, Cardinale won the "Most Beautiful Italian Girl in Tunisia" competition ...

. It is based on the novel '' Gli indifferenti'' by

Alberto Moravia Alberto Pincherle (; 28 November 1907 – 26 September 1990), known by his pseudonym Alberto Moravia ( , ), was an Italian novelist and journalist. His novels explored matters of modern sexuality, social alienation and existentialism. Moravia i ...

Plot

Aging countess Maria Grazia Ardengo and her children Carla and Michele live in a luxurious villa in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

. Due to the family's bankruptcy, their house has been mortgaged, now owned by inscrupulous businessman Leo, and the furnishings are subject to forced sales. Without the countess' knowledge, her long-time lover Leo has started an affair with her daughter Carla. Both Leo and Carla act out of mere calculation: Leo wants to adorn himself with a young, attractive wife and the Ardengo name, Carla wants to maintain her lifestyle. Michele, intent on killing Leo when he learns of the affair but unable to do so, tries to talk his sister into leaving the house with him and start a life on their own, but eventually both resign to the new conditions.

Cast

as Carla Ardengo *

Rod Steiger Rodney Stephen Steiger ( ; April 14, 1925 – July 9, 2002) was an American actor, noted for his portrayal of offbeat, often volatile and crazed characters. Ranked as "one of Hollywood's most charismatic and dynamic stars", he is closely associ ...

as Leo Merumeci *

Shelley Winters Shelley Winters (born Shirley Schrift; August 18, 1920 – January 14, 2006) was an American film actress whose career spanned seven decades. She won Academy Awards for ''The Diary of Anne Frank (1959 film), The Diary of Anne Frank'' (1959) and ' ...

as Lisa *

Tomas Milian Tomás Quintín Rodríguez-Varona Milián Salinas de la Fé y Álvarez de la Campa (3 March 1933 – 22 March 2017) was a Cuban-born actor with American and Italian citizenship, known for the emotional intensity and humor he brought to starring ...

as Michele Ardengo *

Paulette Goddard Paulette Goddard (born Marion Levy; June 3, 1910 – April 23, 1990) was an American actress and socialite. Her career spanned six decades, from the 1920s to the early 1970s. She was a prominent leading actress during the Golden Age of Hollywood ...

as Maria Grazia Ardengo

Reception

In its 1965 review, Catholic film magazine ''Segnalazioni cinematografiche'' saw strengths on the film's formal side, particularly the acting and cinematography, but deficiencies in the psychology of the characters. Critic A. H. Weiler of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' dismissed ''Time of Indifference'' upon its 1966 opening in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, stating, "it takes itself so seriously and is so bad". Judging ''Time of Indifference'' from a filmhistorical perspective, opinions were still divergent. In his 2009 book ''The A to Z of Italian Cinema'', Gino Molterno called Maselli's film a "finely crafted" and "beautifully photographed" adaptation of Moravia's novel, while Luca Barattoni, in his 2012 ''Italian Post-Neorealist Cinema'', came to a negative conclusion, titling the film "a stiff and vapid photostory, devoid of historical specificity".

Awards

* 1964

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 ...

for Best Production Design

References

External links

* {{Francesco Maselli 1964 films 1960s Italian-language films Films directed by Francesco Maselli Films set in Rome Films based on Italian novels Films based on works by Alberto Moravia Films with screenplays by Suso Cecchi d'Amico Films scored by Giovanni Fusco 1960s Italian films