L'Amore in Città (Blu-ray Disc) (Black & White) (Italian) 1953

Seven top Italian filmmakers pooled their talents on the omnibus "reality" feature Amore in Citta (Love in the City). The film is divided into six separate episodes; the first of these, "Paid Love", is a straightforward study of prosititution written and directed by Carlo Lizzani. In the second, Michelangelo Antonioni's "Attempted Suicide", several would-be suicides discuss the reasons for their despair. Dino Risi's "Paradise for Four Hours" is a humorous glance at a provincial dance hall. Federico Fellini's "Marriage Agency" finds an investigative reporter posing as a husband-to-be. Cesara Zavattini and Umberto Maselli's "Story of Caterina" dramatizes the true story of a young unwed mother. And "Italians Stare", written and directed by Alberto Lattuada, illustrates the various "girl-watching" techniques of Italian males. Among the actors particpating in the six vignettes are Ugo Tognazzi, Maressa Gallo, and Caterina Riogoglioso. Originally intended as the first installment in a "movie magazine" titled "The Spectator", Amore in Citta was released at 110 minutes; most American prints are bereft of the opening "Paid Love" segment. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi