Top 10 Most Famous Italian Movies You Need to Watch


 

Have any of you ever seen an Italian movie? I’m not talking about The Godfather, I mean a real Italian movie from an Italian director that takes place in Italy! While The Godfather is and always will be a classic, there are a ton of other truly Italian films out there that you need to watch!

Most Italian films are beautifully shot, moving, and passionate. Keep reading for the top 10 most famous Italian movies you need to watch!

1. Ladri di biciclette (Bicycle Thieves) (1948)

Bicycle Thieves

Poster/DVD for Bicycle Thieves – WikiCommons

This list is in no particular order, but Ladri di biciclette (Bicycle Thieves) is widely considered to be one of the best Italian films ever. This 1948 film was directed by Vittorio De Sica and takes place in Rome after World War II.

The main character, a man named Antonio Ricci, is struggling to find work in post-war Rome. He is told that in order to work, he needs a bicycle. His family pawns their bedsheets in order for Antonio to buy one, which is subsequently stolen on his first day of work.

The police tell Antonio that there isn’t much that they can do to help, so along with his son, Bruno, he takes to the streets to try to find it himself. Watch the movie to find out what happens next!

2. La Strada (The Road) (1954)

La Strada

Poster for La Strada by Pabloglezcruz – WikiCommons

Federico Fellini is a legendary Italian director who is featured on my list multiple times! His 1954 movie, La Strada (The Road) is one of the most popular Italian films out there. The movie tells the story of a girl named Gelsomina, who is sold to a strongman in a traveling circus.

Not surprisingly, Gelsomina is treated badly by Zampanò the strongman as more time goes on. It’s truly a heartbreaking story, but I won’t spoil the ending. This film was the winner of an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, so you know it has to be pretty good!

3. La Dolce Vita (1960)

La Dolce Vita

Poster for the film La Dolce Vita by Cineriz – WikiCommons

The 1960 Italian film La Dolce Vita is fairly well known in the English speaking world, and is another film by Fellini! The film won an Oscar for best costume design in a black and white film and was nominated for 3 other awards as well.

The film tells the story of the original “paparazzo” named Marcello. Marcello is technically a journalist, but he is starstruck when he runs into a beautiful actress named Sylvia. Marcello is in a relationship, but he soon becomes enamored with Sylvia instead of his girlfriend.

This film features a lot of comedy and drama, and it is definitely worth the watch!

4. L’Avventura (The Adventure) (1960)

L'avventura

Poster for L’Avventura by Cino Del Duca – WikiCommons

This 1960 film by director Michelangelo Antonioni stars Italian actress Monica Vitti and would go on to make the actress an international star. The movie tells the story of a woman (played by Vitti) who is looking for her missing friend in the Mediterranean after a boating trip gone wrong.

The film is beautifully shot, albeit sometimes hard to follow due to its untraditional narrative development. But, the movie is praised for its unique storytelling and went on to win the Jury Prize at Cannes.

5. Il Gattopardo (The Leopard) (1963)

The Leopard

Poster for The Leopard (Il Gattopardo) by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation – WikiCommons

Il Gattopardo (The Leopard) is a 1963 film directed by Luchino Visconti and takes place during Garibaldi Revolution, which took place in Italy between 1860-1862. This was a seriously tumultuous time in Italy, as the poor and middle classes began to rise up, taking the aristocracy down. The film is sometimes referred to as the Italian Gone With The Wind, thanks to the costume design and the drama.

A word of advice? Stick with the original version with subtitles. There is a newer dubbed version out there, but it’s just not the same.

6. 8 ½ (1963)

8

Original movie poster for 8 ½ – WikiCommons

Yet another Fellini film to add to the list! 8 ½ is a 1963 movie from the famous Italian director. It was nominated for five Academy Awards and won two, and is considered to be one of the best films to ever come out of Europe.

8 ½ tells the story of an Italian filmmaker who is struggling to find inspiration. This is an avant-garde surrealist film and is seriously beautiful to watch. But, if strange at times, it is funny and the costumes are incredible.

7. Matrimonio all’Italiana (Marriage Italian Style) (1964)

Marriage Italian Style

Poster for Marriage Italian Style – WikiCommons

This one goes out to all of you Sophia Loren fans! Matrimonio all’Italiana (Marriage Italian Style) is a 1964 film directed by Vittorio De Sica, the same director of Ladri di biciclette (Bicycle Thieves).

The movie is about a prostitute named Filumena (played by Loren) and her 22-year affair with a wealthy businessman named Domenico. He soon decides to marry one of his employees, but Filumena tricks him into marrying her instead. He then finds out that Filumena had a baby without telling him and that he actually has a son. The movie follows him as he tries to determine which one of her sons is his.

8. Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (Cinema Paradiso) (1988)

Cinema Paradiso

Poster for Nuovo Cinema Paradiso by Miramax Films (US) / Umbrella Entertainment – WikiCommons

Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (Cinema Paradiso) is another Italian movie that’s fairly well known to English speakers! It was directed by Giuseppe Tornatore and is loosely based on the Protti family, a real Italian family who has owned a movie theatre in Mantua, Italy since the start of the 20th century.

The film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1990. It is told in the form of flashbacks of a film director who is thinking back on his childhood in a small Italian town and his relationship with the movie theatre’s owner.

9. Il Postino (The Postman) (1994)

Il Postino

Original film poster for Il Postino – WikiCommons

If you’re a fan of the Cuban poet Paulo Neruda, you’re going to love this movie! Il Postino (The Postman) is a 1994 film by an English director named Michael Radford. This is the only film on my list without an Italian director, but bear with me! The screenplay was written by Massimo Troisi and it is in Italian.

The movie tells the story of when Neruda moves to a small Italian island. The main character, Mario, is hired as a postman and ends up delivering Neruda his mail. The poet and the postman become fast friends and Neruda teaches Mario how to write poetry so that he can win over a girl who works in the local bar. Mario also writes poems about life in his small village.

10. La Vita è Bella (Life is Beautiful) (1997)

Life is Beautiful

Life is Beautiful original poster by IMP Awards – WikiCommons

I saved my personal favorite for last! La Vita è Bella (Life is Beautiful) is a 1997 movie directed by Roberto Benigni. The movie won three Oscars and is seriously one of the most beautiful films I have ever watched. It is also one of the saddest, so be prepared to shed a tear or two!

The film is centered around a Jewish family living in Italy in the 1930s. The main character, Guido seems to live a dream life with his wife and their son, until the German troops invade their town. I won’t spoil the rest but know that you need to have a box of tissues next to you when you watch!

Conclusion

Add some of these titles to your must-watch lists and you won’t be disappointed! And, if you’re in Rome and you want to learn even more about Italian culture, click here to learn more about our walking tour options! 

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