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Information

A.k.a.
A Special Day
Year
1977
Runtime
106 min.
Director
Ettore Scola
Genre
Drama
Rating *
8.1
Votes *
6,836
Checks
1,495
Favs
229
Dislikes
5
Favs/checks
15.3% (1:7)
Favs/dislikes
46:1
* View IMDb information

Top comments

  1. Siskoid's avatar

    Siskoid

    Wow wow wow wow... A Special Day is special indeed. A delicate and elegant film about fascism's "accepted oppression" set in 1938 Italy, in fact on the day Hitler came to visit Rome. A national holiday, everyone races out to the parade, but our two leads have a reason to stay home. Sophia Loren is a shabby, tired housewife, one who accepts fascism's proposed values. Marcello Mastroianni is a gay subversive (but only really subversive for daring to exist) living across the courtyard in the same apartment complex. Both are playing against type, but they have such star power, it hardly matters, and though a romance would seem impossible from that precis, nevertheless something develops between them over the course of that one day. And throughout, the state propaganda blares out from the nasty concierge's radio, inescapable. One character is obviously oppressed, but so is the other, and the sad part is her realizing she is. Fascist values - which then as now must curtail the rights of women - once comforted her in her unhappy marriage, but after this one day's idyll, no longer. At the end, like the parroting myna bird that allowed for their meeting, they return to their cages. The acting is impeccable. The sepia-toned cinematography cheats us into thinking this is about the past. Great use of location. Wonderful on every level. 3 years 12 months ago
  2. Nilofarish's avatar

    Nilofarish

    Very good movie. Marcello Mastroianni is very good in this movie. And I always love to see a movie with the great Sophia Loren in it. 14 years ago
  3. George Bailey's avatar

    George Bailey

    Amazing 12 years 5 months ago
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In 8 official lists

  1. This movie ranks #36 in FilmTV's The Best Italian Films
    FilmTV's The Best Italian Films's icon

    FilmTV's The Best Italia…

    36
  2. This movie ranks #37 in iCheckMovies's 1970s Top 100
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    iCheckMovies's 1970s Top…

    37
  3. This movie ranks #98 in Roy Menarini's Il Grande Cinema Italiano
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    Roy Menarini's Il Grande…

    98
  4. This movie ranks #113 in iCheckMovies's Most Favorited
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    iCheckMovies's Most Favo…

    113
  5. This movie ranks #117 in Academy Award - Best International Feature Film Nominees
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    Academy Award - Best Int…

    117
  6. This movie ranks #310 in TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest Films: 1001-2500
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    TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest F…

    310
  7. This movie ranks #936 in The Criterion Collection
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    The Criterion Collection

    936
  8. This movie ranks #1012 in Sight & Sound's The Greatest Films of All Time
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    Sight & Sound's The Grea…

    1012
View all lists this movie is in