Girl with a Suitcase (Italian: La ragazza con la valigia) is a 1961 Italian–French romantic drama film by Valerio Zurlini starring Claudia Cardinale as a spirited but naive young woman who lives on the fluctuating good will of others. It was shown in competition at the 1961 Cannes Film Festival.[2] In 2008, the film was included in the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage's 100 Italian films to be saved, a list of 100 films that "have changed the collective memory of the country between 1942 and 1978."[3]
| Girl with a Suitcase | |
|---|---|
 French poster | |
| Directed by | Valerio Zurlini |
| Written by | Leonardo Benvenuti (as Leo Benvenuti) Piero De Bernardi Enrico Medioli Giuseppe Patroni Griffi Valerio Zurlini |
| Produced by | Maurizio Lodi-Fè |
| Starring | Claudia Cardinale Corrado Pani Jacques Perrin |
| Cinematography | Tino Santoni |
| Edited by | Mario Serandrei |
| Music by | Mario Nascimbene |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Titanus |
Release date |
|
Running time | 121 minutes |
| Countries |
|
| Language | Italian |
Plot edit
Aida leaves her boyfriend Piero, a musician, for Marcello, a wealthy young nobleman who promises great things and then dumps her at a garage with her suitcase. When she tracks him to the family mansion, he sends his sixteen-year-old brother, Lorenzo, out to get rid of her. Taking pity on the girl, he takes her with her suitcase to a pensione where she can spend the night.
He is meant to be studying by day, but sneaks away to spend time with Aida and slips presents and money to her. One evening he stays drinking and dancing with friends she has met, who depart at midnight leaving the two alone. When he creeps home at dawn, his hostile aunt spots him and his secret is out. Next time he is able to meet Aida she warns him that she has an illegitimate child who is currently away at a summer camp. When she agrees to meet Lorenzo later, the family priest appears instead and, after telling her that Lorenzo is the little brother of Marcello who seduced her, tells her to leave the boy alone and leave town.
She goes with her suitcase to the seaside resort where Piero is working, but he is furious at seeing her again and hits her. A brawny friend of his, Romolo, thinks he will take advantage of the unhappy girl and gets her drunk. When she rejects his advances, he offers her money. At that moment Lorenzo, who has tracked her down, appears and reclaims her. Unashamed at attacking a slight boy, Romolo starts beating him up until stopped by others. Taking him to the beach, Aida bathes his battered face and, alone together in the dusk, they are at last close. But Lorenzo has to catch a train home at two in the morning and, as they part at the station, he presses an envelope on her. Opening it when he has gone, she finds a parting gift of money. Once again, she has been left on her own.
Cast edit
- Claudia Cardinale as Aida
- Jacques Perrin as Lorenzo Fainardi
- Luciana Angiolillo as Aunt
- Renato Baldini as Francia
- Riccardo Garrone as Romolo
- Elsa Albani as Lucia
- Corrado Pani as Marcello Fainardi
- Gian Maria Volonté as Piero
- Romolo Valli as Priest
- Enzo Garinei
- Ciccio Barbi as Crosia
- Nadia Bianchi as Nuccia
- Angela Portaluri
- Edda Soligo as teacher
Production edit
Claudia Cardinale's voice was dubbed by Adriana Asti.[4]
References edit
- ^ Valerio Zurlini. 30-31 marzo 1990, Casa del Mantegna - Mantova. Circolo del cinema Mantova. 1990. p. 36.
- ^ "Festival de Cannes: Girl with a Suitcase". festival-cannes.com. Archived from the original on 2012-09-18. Retrieved 2009-02-21.
- ^ "Ecco i cento film italiani da salvare Corriere della Sera". www.corriere.it. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
- ^ "La ragazza con la valigia". Cinematografo (in Italian). Retrieved 21 February 2024.
External links edit
 | This article related to an Italian film of the 1960s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This article about a romantic drama film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |