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A Special Day

Play trailer Poster for A Special Day Released May 17, 1977 1h 46m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 10 Reviews 91% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
In Rome, fascist supporter Emanuele (John Vernon) attends a parade commemorating Adolf Hitler's historic meeting with Italian leader Benito Mussolini, leaving his apolitical wife, Antonietta (Sophia Loren), to tend to household duties. Antonietta encounters a man, Gabriele (Marcello Mastroianni), who appears surprisingly nonplussed by the political event. Over the course of the day, the two forge a close friendship that will forever change their perceptions of life, love and politics.
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A Special Day

Critics Reviews

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Clayton Dillard Slant Magazine The Criterion Collection's 4K Blu-ray offers a beautiful transfer of Ettore Scola's long unavailable gem. Oct 14, 2015 Full Review Vincent Canby New York Times In Ettore Scola's funny, humane A Special Day, Antonietta and Gabriele are never really a couple, but their brief encounter lights up the screen with the kind of radiance you get only from great movie actors who also are great stars. May 9, 2005 Full Review Eric Rogers Gay Community News (Boston) The movie offers a moving story of two tortured souls struggling against the quiet violence that preceded the holocaust. Aug 30, 2022 Full Review Yasser Medina Cinefilia It is a moving film by Scola about gender stereotypes, the social condition of women and the overwhelming way in which fascism condemned the dignity of working class people. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 7/10 Aug 8, 2020 Full Review Jesús Fernández Santos El Pais (Spain) Ettore Scola analyzes the present and makes us see and feel the intolerance that still persists. [Full Review in Spanish] Jul 26, 2019 Full Review Nathanael Hood The Retro Set A Special Day remains a particularly potent demonstration of Ettore Scola's tremendous talents. Rated: 8/10 Dec 28, 2018 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Michael F I saw this film years ago but was too young then to appreciate it. I’m very glad I revisited this movie because it’s a gem. Brilliant performances from Mastroianni and Loren. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/30/24 Full Review Hank F Just saw this on Criterion as part of 100th anniversary Mastroianni retrospective. A revelation! This Ettore Scola film is a masterpiece. It perfectly captures that time with all of its "horror" scaled down to a brief encounter. Loren and Mastroianni are luminous. Don't miss it! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/29/24 Full Review Lars N Although small in scale, A Special Day benefits from the narrative constrictions (one day/one apartment complex) to deliver a quietly wonderful and significant film. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/12/24 Full Review erroll f Loren and Mastriani give, perhaps the best performances of their careers in this brilliant study of loneliness and persecution. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/11/23 Full Review Audience Member Ettore Scola shows with delicacy and tact a situation so distant in the times but so current. Two characters who live situations of hardship and difficulty in a fascist Rome that sees a strong patriarchy and that affects both. A perfect interpretation of Marcello Mastroianni and a really modern theme. Spectacular direction and shots by Ettore Scola. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review steve d The acting is great but I expected a bit more from it. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews
A Special Day

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Cast & Crew

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Ettore Scola

Director

Sophia Loren

Antonietta Taberi

Marcello Mastroianni

Gabriele

John Vernon

Emanuele, the husband of Antonietta

Françoise Berd

Caretaker

Tiziano De Persio

Arnaldo

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A Special Day

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Movie Info

Synopsis In Rome, fascist supporter Emanuele (John Vernon) attends a parade commemorating Adolf Hitler's historic meeting with Italian leader Benito Mussolini, leaving his apolitical wife, Antonietta (Sophia Loren), to tend to household duties. Antonietta encounters a man, Gabriele (Marcello Mastroianni), who appears surprisingly nonplussed by the political event. Over the course of the day, the two forge a close friendship that will forever change their perceptions of life, love and politics.
Director
Ettore Scola
Producer
Carlo Ponti
Screenwriter
Maurizio Costanzo, Ettore Scola
Distributor
Cinema 5 Distributing
Production Co
Canafox, Compagnia Cinematografica Champion
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Italian
Release Date (Theaters)
May 17, 1977, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 8, 2015
Runtime
1h 46m
Sound Mix
Mono
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