It Happened in the Park (1956)

Synopsis: IT HAPPENED IN THE PARK sets five short vignettes in the stunning Villa Borghese Gardens in Rome. Co-directed by the Neorealist master Vittorio De Sica (THE BICYCLE THIEF, THE GARDEN OF THE... IT HAPPENED IN THE PARK sets five short vignettes in the stunning Villa Borghese Gardens in Rome. Co-directed by the Neorealist master Vittorio De Sica (THE BICYCLE THIEF, THE GARDEN OF THE FINZI-CONTINIS), the vignettes expose the drama, comedy, and irony in the lives of visitors to the park over a 24-hour period in this documentary-style slice of life. The first vignette exposes the lives of an aging prostitute and her lover. De Sica stars in the second piece as a dandy who gets caught in the middle of a young couple's quarrel. De Sica sets up his own secret meeting with the attractive girl, only to find himself joined by her betrothed lover, a nosey observer, and the girl's mother. The next vignette offers a charming dramedy as a marriage broker and several family members attempt to create a match for a flawed young woman. The fourth tale provides the heartiest laughs as a pampered wife and her friend become entangled in a beauty contest while on the run from the police. The combination of these fanciful shorts with the backdrop of life in the French park creates a beguiling perspective on the sordid social disorder of urban life. Director De Sica films various visitors to the park over a 24-hour period in this documentary-style slice of life. [More]

Director: Vittorio De Sica

Director: Vittorio De Sica