Review of Summertime (1955) by Matthew C — 28 Feb 2010

Katherine Hepburn, Rossano Brazzi, and Venice, Italy star in this gorgeous film by director David Lean. I think what I loved the most about this movie is that age isn't a bad thing. Hepburn and Brazzi are hardly the young lovers films are usually so obsessed with, and Venice is a very old city.

All three are filmed in such a way that their age only adds to their presence. Blemishes, wrinkles, and cracks are signs of life and experience; not something to be ashamed of, but celebrated. Brazzi plays the classic, smooth talking, confident Italian.

While Hepburn plays the timid American with an inner fire waiting to be unleashed. (I've always been fascinated by Hepburn's duality of strength and vulnerability). And Venice, with all its grime and grit, plays a beautiful and timeless backdrop for the discovery of passion.

And they're really there, on the streets and canals. The location shooting is fantastic, showing the city in ways I had never seen it before. Strongly suggested.