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The Garden of the Finzi-Continis

R Released Dec 16, 1971 1h 35m Drama War List
94% Tomatometer 16 Reviews 78% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
This classic Italian drama, based on the book of the same name by Giorgio Bassani, focuses on the intellectual Finzi-Contini family, Jewish aristocrats who live on an idyllic estate. Siblings Alberto and Micol Finzi-Contini (Helmut Berger, Dominique Sanda) regularly hold parties with their friends, largely sheltered from the growing anti-Semitism in their country. When the Fascist movement becomes stronger, however, it affects everyone in the orbit of the family.

Critics Reviews

View All (16) Critics Reviews
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times It's an uneasy feeling to be inside an undefined space, especially if you may need to hide or run, and that's exactly the feeling De Sica gets. Rated: 4/4 Oct 23, 2004 Full Review Nell Minow Movie Mom Rated: 4/5 Oct 2, 2004 Full Review Susan Stark Detroit News Rated: 4/4 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Zita Short InSession Film This is not one of those worthless, ponderous pieces of arthouse twaddle but I would never enthusiastically recommend it to anybody. There are far better European dramas about the Holocaust that are emotionally involving as well as being solidly crafted. Rated: C Feb 7, 2023 Full Review Sean Burns Crooked Marquee An achingly beautiful cautionary tale about the blindness of privilege, a movie rich with longing and loss. Aug 7, 2022 Full Review Donald J. Levit ReelTalk Movie Reviews For its story moment before the gathering storm broke, this film is a garden wall held up, a finger in the dyke, just before the deluge and fall into darkness. Feb 5, 2011 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (72) audience reviews
lanfranco c Life is going toward a terrible destiny. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review William L As the most talked-about tragedy of the definitive war of the 20th century, the Holocaust has been endlessly approached, dissected, picked apart, and analyzed in film. As a subject, it's been attacked in all angles, styles, and perspectives. Though as a viewer, it's not necessarily wise to compare films rather than just appreciating them for what they are, but the sheer number of projects that focus on the subject almost demands that kind of treatment, and in considering The Garden of the Finzi-Continis among the many other Holocaust dramas, it's just a well-made but unsurprising film. There is an interesting perspective in tying the relentless optimism of young love with the tentative hopefulness of Jewish families considering their social positions in emerging Fascist Italy, but the "maybe the Nazis/Fascists/insert regime here won't be too bad; oh no, they were bad" is used endlessly in creating narratives of this type. All of it sets up an inevitable disillusionment that can be seen in the first ten minutes, which often takes away from the incremental moments that are intended to build up some sort of impact. De Sica and cinematographer Guarnieri employ a soft focus for most of the film's shots, imparting a visual counterpart to the film's subjects that also see the world with a hopeful perspective, and make creative use of time jumps/flashbacks, but most of the film relies on comparisons such as: the Fascists are making us wait to be deported in the same schoolroom in which I attended the sixth grade, how tragic. The Holocaust was a horrific event and must be commemorated effectively, but this doesn't seem like the most well-made film to do it. (3/5) Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/26/21 Full Review s r 1001 movies to see before you die. This was a soap-opera based around WW2 with a focus on Jewish Aristocracy. It was entertaining, but ultimately not one I need to see again. It was full of cheese and melodrama. It was on youtube. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member La delicatezza sprigionata dal film di De Sica è frastornante, ti lascia di stucco la semplicità con cui racconta gli eventi e le persone intorno al giardino in questione. La spirale di restrizioni che si fa sempre più avvolgente intorno ai protagonisti porta ad un finale raccontato con semplicità e senza proclami. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Audience Member El jardín de los Finzi-Contini [1971] Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review david l The Garden of the Finzi-Continis is well made and filmed with some charming scenes, but is one of the most forgettable foreign Oscar winners thanks to a plot that was just never a material for a film, quite dull characters and a very boring execution. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Garden of the Finzi-Continis

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Movie Info

Synopsis This classic Italian drama, based on the book of the same name by Giorgio Bassani, focuses on the intellectual Finzi-Contini family, Jewish aristocrats who live on an idyllic estate. Siblings Alberto and Micol Finzi-Contini (Helmut Berger, Dominique Sanda) regularly hold parties with their friends, largely sheltered from the growing anti-Semitism in their country. When the Fascist movement becomes stronger, however, it affects everyone in the orbit of the family.
Director
Vittorio De Sica
Producer
Arthur Cohn, Artur Brauner
Screenwriter
Giorgio Bassani, Vittorio Bonicelli, Franco Brusati, Vittorio De Sica
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics, Columbia TriStar Home Video, Home Vision Entertainment
Production Co
CCC Filmkunst GmbH
Rating
R
Genre
Drama, War
Original Language
Italian
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 16, 1971, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 15, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$753.7K
Runtime
1h 35m
Sound Mix
Stereo, Mono