Summertime (1955)

Intro.

I love those movies that take you completely by surprise - the ones that you aren't looking for but completely delight you.  Summertime was such a film for me.  I'm not sure if it was the fact that I've been longing to go to Italy myself or the fact that lately I've been feeling exactly like Katharine Hepburn's character - waiting for life to happen.

Overview

Katharine Hepburn plays Jane, a single American woman who has saved up enough money to finally fulfill her dreams and travel to beautiful, romantic Venice.  Once there, the excitement soon turns to loneliness as she realizes that Venice is a city for couples and she is very much alone.  That doesn't last long though, as she meets handsome shopkeeper Renato (Rossano Brazzi).  He pursues her and convinces her that romance can happen and that they should embrace whatever happens.  They date, they love, they spend many nights together in the gorgeous streets and canals of Venice.  It has all the marks of a dream come true until Jane finds out that Renato is married - from there the relationship grows complicated, but Jane makes her biggest decision to allow herself to love him anyway.  It isn't really a story about the two of them as much as it is about Jane coming into her own, opening her heart and realizing that her life hasn't passed her by.

Highlights

First of all, Venice steals the show.  It was filmed on location and oh what I wouldn't give to have been a part of that crew!  All of the warmth and beauty and even the sadness of Venice comes through just in the filmography alone.  In fact, the buildings and art are treated just as well as the leading lady, and we can see Jane fall in love with the city just as we do.  The music just adds to the beauty as well.

Katharine Hepburn is amazing in this role.  She reminded me of a stronger version of her character in The Rainmaker - lonely, but trying to hide it and too afraid to love.  As Jane, she is vibrant, friendly, and outgoing, yet also reserved and reluctant.  However, in keeping with Hepburn's rebellious spirit, Jane decides against convention (and in 1950's Hollywood!) and has her full blown romance with Renato.  And full blown is right - there's even a funny scene where Venice is lit up with fireworks while Jane and Renato slip off into a bedroom - presumably for their own fireworks.  Ah, Hollywood when you still had class!  The rest of the cast is superb in this film.  Even the McIlhenneys (Jane Rose and MacDonald Park) are great "ugly American" tourists that serve to highlight how different Jane is - not to mention provide some comic relief.  And Rossano Brazzi is terrific in his role as Renato - he is both the pursuer and the pursued and takes both with a great deal of charm.  Finally, the way that all of the elements of the film come together makes it stand out - especially the gardenia and the transformation of Jane (not only in clothes, but in the way she opens up and carries herself with more confidence).

There are some great lines in this film too.  Here are a few:
"Those miracles - they can happen sometimes, but you must give them a little push to help." - hotel keeper Signora Fiorini
"The most beautiful things in life are those we do not understand." - Renato
And this dialogue: Jane: "Sing it."  Renato: "How do you know I can?"  Jane: "Because you're Italian."  (Even funnier if you know what famous Rogers & Hammerstein musical Rossano Brazzi was later in!)

Review

This film is about Venice, but also about a deep part of human nature - the desire to be loved and the fear of not being loved.  It fulfills the line of "everything happens sooner or later" but with the cold realization that when love finds you, it may be far from what you imagined.  I'd recommend this film to all hopeless romantics and even those (like me) who are a bit cynical about love but give in to a great story.