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Plot

Only a few of the films that grew from the notorious liaison between actress Ingrid Bergman and director Roberto Rossellini were truly worthy of their talents. One such was the Italian-made Europa '51. Playing a character far older than herself, Bergman portrays a society woman whose life is in ruins after her son's suicide. Attempting to give her life some purpose, she takes the advice of a leftist friend, and begins working with the ill and destitute of Rome. Her insensitive husband Alexander Knox finds Bergman's charitable activities distasteful; when the opportunity presents itself, he has her committed to a mental institution. By the time Europa '51 was released in the US in 1954, its title -- and much of its political ideology -- had been outdated. The film was pared from 118 to 110 minutes for US consumption, and retitled The Greatest Love.
MPAA Rating:
Not Yet Rated
Genre(s):
Drama
Run Time:
110min.
Theatrical Release Date:
10/16/2006
Director(s):
Roberto Rossellini
Starring:
Ingrid Bergman , Alexander Knox , Ettore Giannini , Giulietta Masina , Sandro Franchina
Themes:
Wrongly Committed,Crisis of Conscience,Death of a Child
Tone:
Bleak,Disturbing,Downbeat,Earnest
Keywords:
charity,husband,mental-institution,son,suicide,woman
Country of Origin:
Italy (12-04-1952)