A Special Day

A Special Day (Una giornata particolare, 1977) is an Italian-Canadian drama directed by Ettore Scola that you can watch online on iFILM. Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni star together — the film was shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Rome, 8 May 1938. The entire city has turned out to cheer the motorcade marking Hitler's first official visit to Mussolini. Antonietta, a harried housewife with six children, stays behind in the empty apartment block. So does Gabriele, her neighbour across the landing — a former radio announcer who has just been fired and whose situation under the fascist regime is precarious. They spend the afternoon together. The fascist parades blare on the radio; the courtyard is deserted.

Scola stripped away everything that usually carries an Italian film — no score to speak of, muted ochre tones, almost no camera movement. Loren plays against her glamorous image; Mastroianni against his charm. What comes through is two people finding each other at the exact wrong moment in history. Watch A Special Day (1977) online on iFILM.