DVD Features:
- Rated: Not Rated
- Run Time: 1 hours, 40 minutes
- Video: Black & White
- Released: September 28, 2004
- Originally Released: 1960
- Label: Alpha Video
- Encoding: Region 0 (Worldwide)
- Packaging: Keep Case
- Aspect Ratio: Full Frame - 1.33
Performers, Cast and Crew:
Major Awards:
Academy Awards 1961 -
Best Actress: Sophia Loren
Cannes 1961 -
Best Actress: Sophia Loren
Description by OLDIES.com:
Screen goddess Sophia Loren won a justly deserved Oscar for her vivid portrayal of a war ravaged widow in Vittorio de Sica's neo-realist classic.
Two Women chronicles the harrowing ordeal of the beautiful widow Cesira (Sophia Loren) and her sickly daughter Rosetta (Eleonora Brown) as they escape the daily air raids in Rome by fleeing into the countryside. The pair make their way over corpse strewn mountains and burnt out valleys only to be brutally raped by soldiers when they seek shelter in an abandoned church.
A life affirming tale of survival and perseverance in the face of adversity, Two Women is a frank and poetic film with the universal message that our shared humanity transcends all ethnic or political differences. Dubbed in English.
Product Description:
In Vittorio De Sica's TWO WOMEN, Cesira (Sophia Loren) and her young daughter (Eleonora Brown) leave Rome for the comfort of the Italian hills, hoping to remain safe during WWII. When the Allied troops start moving north, Cesira and her daughter feel secure enough to head back to Rome, but tragedy ensues when they encounter a group of Moroccan soldiers. Sultry Sophia Loren dominates this dark drama in a role that won her an Oscar for Best Actress.
Plot Synopsis:
Sophia Loren stars as Cesira, a devoted mother and a successful small business owner, in this Vittorio De Sica's TWO WOMEN, a dramatic adaptation of Alberto Moravia's touching novel, CESIRA. When the Allies begin bombing Mussolini's Rome, Cesira and her 12-year-old daughter, Rosetta (Eleonara Brown), travel by train and foot to the countryside where Cesira was born. The two women find food and shelter with other fugitives, and stand witness to some of the horrors of war. After the Allies land and head North from Rome, Cesira and Rosetta begin the long walk home. Resting inside of a Church, mother and daughter are discovered and gang raped by a cruel band of soldiers. Rosetta is traumatized, and temporarily becomes mute. Recovering from her initial shock, Rosetta displays a hardened licentious persona. But when Cesira informs Rosetta that a boy she adored has been killed, Rosetta's true feelings come to the surface in an outpouring of grief. Both Loren and Brown turn in wonderful performances as they struggle to survive and maintain their love for each other.
Plot Keywords:
Escape |
Essential Cinema |
Family Interaction |
Rape |
War |
World War II
Production Notes:
- TWO WOMEN was an official Italian entry in the 1961 Cannes Film Festival.
- Sophia Loren won the "Silver Ribbon" (the Italian version of the Oscar) for her first reputed "un-glamorous" role.
- Originally Sophia Loren was offered the part of the daughter.
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