Two neighbours — a persecuted journalist and a resigned housewife — forge a strong bond on the day of Adolf Hitler's historic 1938 visit to Rome.
Acting
Loren and Mastroianni — arguably cinema's greatest on-screen pair.
Direction
Scola shoots in muted browns; color only for Hitler's arrival.
Production
Entire building built on Cinecittà soundstage.
Director
Ettore Scola
Sophia Loren
Antonietta Taberi
Marcello Mastroianni
Gabriele
John Vernon
Emanuele Taberi
Patrizia Basso
Romana Taberi
Vittorio Guerrieri
Umberto Taberi
Galeazzo Ciano
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Adolf Hitler
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Benito Mussolini
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Loren and Mastroianni made 12 films together; this was their most critically acclaimed. Scola filmed in sepia to match period newsreels.
The 1938 Hitler-Mussolini parade footage is genuine archival material — real Romans really cheered.
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