Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
original movie poster
Directed byVittorio De Sica
Written byBella Billa
Eduardo De Filippo
Alberto Moravia
Isabella Quarantotti
Cesare Zavattini
Produced byCarlo Ponti
Joseph E. Levine
StarringSophia Loren
Marcello Mastroianni
CinematographyGiuseppe Rotunno
Edited byAdriana Novelli
Music byArmando Trovajoli
Distributed byEmbassy Pictures Corporation
Release date
  • 19 December 1963 (1963-12-19)
Running time
118 minutes
CountryItaly
LanguageItalian
Box office$4.1 million (US/Canada) (rentals)[1] $9.3 million（US and Canada）[2]

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (Italian: Ieri, oggi, domani) is a 1963 comedy anthology film by Italian director Vittorio De Sica.[3] It stars Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni. The film consists of three short stories about couples in different parts of Italy. The film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 37th Academy Awards.[4]

Plot

Adelina of Naples

Set in a working-class Naples neighborhood in 1954, this is the story of Adelina (Sophia Loren), who supports her unemployed husband Carmine (Marcello Mastroianni) and child by selling black market cigarettes. When she doesn't pay a fine, her furniture is to be repossessed. However her neighbors assist her by hiding the furniture. A lawyer who lives in the neighborhood advises Carmine that, as the fine and furniture are in Adelina's name, she will be imprisoned. However, Italian law stipulates that women cannot be imprisoned when pregnant or within six months after a pregnancy. As a result, Adelina schemes to stay pregnant continuously. After seven children in eight years, Carmine is seriously exhausted and Adelina must make the choice of being impregnated by their mutual friend Pasquale (Aldo Giuffrè) or be incarcerated.

She finally chooses to be incarcerated, and the whole neighborhood gathers money to free her and petition for her pardon, which finally comes and she is reunited with her husband Carmine and their children.

Anna of Milan

Anna (Sophia Loren dressed by Christian Dior), the wife of a mega-rich industrialist, has a lover named Renzo (Marcello Mastroianni). Whilst driving together in her husband's Rolls-Royce, Anna must determine which is the most important to her happiness – Renzo or the Rolls. Renzo rethinks his infatuation with Anna when she expresses no concern when they nearly run over a child, and end up crashing the Rolls-Royce.

She is infuriated by the damage to her Rolls-Royce, and ends up getting another passing driver to take her home, leaving Renzo on the road.

Mara of Rome

Mara (Sophia Loren) works as a prostitute from her apartment, servicing a variety of high class clients including Augusto (Marcello Mastroianni), the wealthy, powerful and neurotic son of a Bologna industrialist.

Mara's elderly neighbor's grandson Umberto (Gianni Ridolfi) is a handsome and callow young man studying for the priesthood but not yet ordained. Umberto and Mara talk one night asking each other about their occupations. Embarrassed, Mara tells him she does manicures. Umberto's grandmother (Tina Pica) sees them talking and, knowing that Mara is a prostitute, interrupts their conversation telling Mara that she'll go to hell. Umberto protests, but Mara defends herself. Umberto falls in love with her. To the shrieking dismay of his grandmother, the young man wishes to leave his vocation to be with Mara, or to join the French Foreign Legion, if Mara rejects him. Mara vows to set the young man on the path of righteousness back to the seminary and vows celibacy for a week, if she succeeds. For this, she enlists the reluctant Augusto. Umberto finally agrees to return to the seminary. Mara rewards Augusto with a striptease (with Loren coached by Jacques Ruet choreographer of Le Crazy Horse de Paris[5]), but remembering her vow, refuses to go to bed with him.

Cast

  • Sophia Loren as Adelina Sbaratti / Anna Molteni / Mara
  • Marcello Mastroianni as Carmine Sbaratti / Renzo / Augusto Rusconi
  • Aldo Giuffrè as Pasquale Nardella (segment "Adelina")
  • Agostino Salvietti as Dr. Verace (segment "Adelina")
  • Lino Mattera as Amedeo Scapece (segment "Adelina")
  • Tecla Scarano as Verace's sister (segment "Adelina")
  • Silvia Monelli as Elivira Nardella (segment "Adelina")
  • Carlo Croccolo as Auctioneer (segment "Adelina")
  • Pasquale Cennamo as Chief Police (segment "Adelina")
  • Tonino Cianci as Antonio Cianci (segment "Adelina")
  • Armando Trovajoli as Giorgio Ferrario (segment "Anna")
  • Tina Pica as Grandmother Ferrario (segment "Mara")
  • Gianni Ridolfi as Umberto (segment "Mara") (as Giovanni Ridolfi)
  • Gennaro Di Gregorio as Grandfather (segment "Mara")

Filming

The production of "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" took place in various locations across Italy. Each of the three segments was shot in different settings, reflecting the diverse cultural and social landscapes of the country. The first segment is set in Naples and follows the story of Adelina. The second story is set in Milan and revolves around the character of Anna. The final segment is set in Rome and centers on Mara.

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 78% based on 9 reviews, with an average score of 7.3/10.[6]

John Simon of The New Leader described Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow as an 'overrated dud'.[7]

Awards and nominations

See also

References

  1. ↑ "All-time Film Rental Champs", Variety, 7 January 1976 p 50
  2. ↑ Balio, Tino (5 November 2010). The Foreign Film Renaissance on American Screens, 1946–1973. ISBN 9780299247935.
  3. ↑ "NY Times: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2012. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
  4. 1 2 "The 37th Academy Awards (1965) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  5. ↑ "The secrets behind Sophia Loren's striptease in "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow"". Vogue France. 20 April 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  6. ↑ "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow". Rotten Tomatoes. 17 March 1964. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  7. ↑ Simon, John (1967). Private Screenings. The MacMillan Company. p. 154.
  8. ↑ "Top 5 Foreign Language Films Archives". National Board of Review. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
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