IL BELL’ ANTONIO (“Handsome Antonio”) is an Italian-French coproduction, directed by Mauro Bolognini. It stars Marcello Mastroianni, Claudia Cardinale, Pierre Brasseur, Rina Morelli and Tomas Milian. This 1960 drama was adapted by Pier Paolo Pasolini and Gino Visentini from a novel by Vitaliano Brancati.

In Catania, on the east coast of Sicily, all the women adore handsome Antonio (Mastroianni). They think of him as the perfect romantic lover, but in reality he has problems fulfilling this ideal. Unfortunately, his new bride Barbara (Cardinale) only notices Antonio’s failings once they are married. And when the local townspeople learn about Antonio’s marital trouble, he soon finds himself the object of much humiliation.

IL BELL’ ANTONIO won the top prize at the 1960 Locarno International Film Festival. The movie was photographed in moody black-and-white by Armando Nannuzzi (“Sandra”) and features music composed by Piero Piccioni (“La notte brava”). Piero Tosi (“Senilità”) designed both the sets and costumes for the film.

In Italian, with English subtitles.