Cinecittà Film

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Renato receives a bicycle for his thirteenth birthday and on the day that Mussolini declares war on the Allies, he discovers sex, dreams and violence through Maddalena (Malèna) Scordia, the most beautiful woman of his village, Castelcutò. He follows her around everywhere, watching her every move. Malèna becomes his icon who sees her a sort of Madonna. For the other people in the village – the horny men and the jealous women, Malèna is a whore. The film is reminiscent of Pietro Germi’s La Ciociara when the horror of war comes to the quiet little village. Malèna is widowed and she is put on trial after being wrongly accused of adultery. Times are very hard for her and to make ends meet she has to sell her body after all to Germans and Italian Fascists thus confirming all the ugly rumours that have been circulating about her for years. On the day Italy is liberated, Malèna is lynched and almost beaten to death by the women of the village.

Inspired by an original storyb by Luciano Vincenzoni