I would like to add "Vanille Fraise", a 1989 French movie. Not so great but light and pleasant and beautifully set in Capri.

Oh and by the way...how do you search for locations on http://www.imdb.com ? (I mean where do you go for searching? the search engine on the main page doesn't give so many results...)

Could not find it...
I'm looking for movies shot in Tuscany. Leaving for Cortona in 5 weeks...

From the posts from LindaSF, and Teachick,
I rented "Dangerous Beauty". I can't stop thinking about this movie. The outside shots of Venice are stunning. This was a well acted movie and a wonderful love story. I would highly recommend it.

Sandra

To find locations on us.imdb.com, you need to go to "PowerSearch".

Here is the link to the page that links to all the Italian locations.

http://us.imdb.com/LocationTree?Italy

Here's another fun site that gives you more information about filming locations.

http://www.movie-locations.com/moviescreen.html

I'm currently enrolled in an Italian cinema class here at OSU, and it's wonderful. We meet twice a week in a huge auditorium (with a movie theater sized screen) and screen various works by all the greats (Rosellini, De Sica, Fellini et cetera.)

We just finished Big Deal on Madonna Street (a silly English translation for I Soliti Ignoti), and there were some excellent shots of pre-economic boom, 40's era Roma.

I highly recommend this film.

The Tree of Wooden Clogs--- beautifully done, evocative portrait of four share-cropping peasant families in turn-of-the-century Lombardy.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Starlings:
I can also recommend Facing Windows/La Finestra di fronte/The Window Opposite (2003) With Giovanna Mezzogiorno and Massimo Girotti.

Starling, I second (and third and fourth) this recommendation. I loved this movie and it shows a part of Rome not many know (ie. the Jewish Ghetto, the Quartiere Testaccio). And the story is heartbreakingly beautiful...

Another fantastic old glory set in Italy is the Gattopardo, a special view of Sicily and of the Sicilians: Il Gattopardo

Films I have enjoyed set in Italy:

Il Postino - already mentioned - filmed on an island off of Naples that is not Capri...

Cinema Paradiso - also mentioned

These I have not seen posted in this thread yet (with netflix links, if they work)

Malena (2000) - I don't think this was mentioned yet - set in Sicily (Syracuse) at the begining of WWII.
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Malena/60003396?trkid=190393

Ladri di biciclette (The Bicycle Thief) - Rome right after WWII - shows you how bad things were during and right after the war.
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/The_Bicycle_Thief/11519642?trkid=190393

Martin Scorsese's "My Voyage to Italy" - not really an a Italian movie, but an interesting documentary on early post WWII Italian movies.
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/My_Voyage_to_Italy/60037876?trkid=190393

8 1/2 by Fellini which mocks the self importance and status of film stars and directors.

And the first 10 minutes of the Italian Job - zipping around Venice in power boats.....

I know it's been mentioned but, for those that like such things, in Casino Royale did anyone notice the nod to Don't Look Now? Bond's girlfriend disappears into the Venice crowds while wearing a red dress, which you only see from behind and at a distance! I love stuff like this !

Did a search and no hits on Buona Sera Mrs Campbell.....1968 Gina Lollobrigida....was wondering if anyone knew where the location filming was done?

One of the cars had a Lucca license plate on it, but didn't recognize any of the towns.

Il Postino was filmed mostly on the island of Salina, the town of Pollara. Some scenes were filmed elsewhere, especially the one where there is the large rally. The island isn't that big.

I rarely see non-Italian films set in Italy, though The English Patient was nice...

Any of the old Rizzoli-produced Don Camillo films with Gino Cervi as Peppone, Fernandel as Don Camillo, and Guereschi providing Jesus's voice. The accents are wonderful, the scenery delightful, and the Italy you see in them doesn't exist any more.

In the same vein the De Sica films set in Ciocaria, in which he plays a Mersciallo dei Carabinieri (one's with Gina Lolobrigida at a breathtaking 18 or so) -- Pane, amore e Fantasia and Pane, amore e gelosia if I remember right. More views of an italy that no longer exists.

Then Tutti a Casa with Alberto Sordi, stories about what happened following the Italian collapse on September 8 1943, and I Due Caporali with De Sica and Toto'. Padre Domenicano!

And in color, La Notte di San Lorenzo, even though they got the blowing up of the church (with lots of people inside) wrong -- the carnage was caused by a stray American shell, not the Germans.

Only one person has mentioned "Life is Beautiful." We happened to be in the area and visited Arezzo very shortly after the film was released- before the tourists descended. The townspeople were still excited about the movie and happy to talk about the locations and their roles in the filming. Arezzo is a lovely town- hope it hasn't been spoiled by the attention!

We had lunch in 2001 in the restaurant used in Life is Beautiful. When we went back in 2006 the restaurant was closed and the restaurant space unused.

Oddly, after reading about the movie "Avanti" on this board, and adding it to my Netflix queue, I discovered that it's on the Retro channel tonight! I'm watching it now and they're just arriving in Rome.

I had quite a list of favorites, but they seem to have all been mentioned, apart from A Month by the Lake set at Lake Como, and starring Vanessa Redgrave, Edward Fox and Uma Thurman.

It was made in 1995 but it was set in 1937. I find it "charming".

I saw a re-release of "Mafioso" with Alberto Sordi today. Originally released in 1962, it's a wonderful movie, as others here have mentioned. The protagonist is a Sicilian who moved to Milan and, years later returns with his wife and daughters for a visit. He finds that he cannot escape his past connections.

I believe the movie is playing in various locales throughout the country, so catch it if you can.

My favourite movie, which I haven't seen mentioned on this message board is Francesco Rosi's - Cristo si e fermato a eboli -
CHRIST STOPPED AT EBOLI. (Italian with English subtitles)
I first watched in on TV many years ago, and was thrilled when it was released on DVD. It is just so haunting, and I love watching it again and again.
pauline

Has anyone mentioned Woody Allen's "Everyone Says I Love You"? - he makes great use of the small bridges and canals, as well as the Gritti.
Also wasn't the wedding/honeymoon of Anakin and Padme in Star Wars, Episode II filmed at a villa at Lake Como? Supposedly George Lucas had visited and loved it, determining to work it onto the movie somehow.
And of course De Sica's wonderful Garden of the Finzi Continis, set and filmed in Ferrara.

OH and of course Savoca, used as a stand-in for Corleone in The Godfather. Coppola must've shot very carefully to avoid any glimpses of the coast, ocean or Mt Etna in the background! We stopped by the bar/cafe where Michael met his soon-to-be Sicilian in-laws and wife; they had quite a bit of Godfather paraphanalia.

And crap, since I'd already mentioned Woody Allen, can't believe I forgot Mighty Aphrodite with it's great greek chorus, complete with a naysaying Cassandra, set in the theatre in Taormina!

I watched Il Postino this weekend before going to my dad's for a BBQ. My great Aunt and I were discussing Italy and I found out my great Grandfather was born on Procida, the same island that many of the scenes in Il Postino were filmed! How's that for coincidence?

Hello!
About movies set in Italy I would like to point out a great italian book I recently discovered:
"I luoghi del cinema" Paesaggi, città, attori e registi: la nostra penisola attraverso i film italiani più celebri
by Giulio Martini
Edited by the Touring club Italiano (€ 18,00)

It's a very interesting and complete itinerary guide to the most beautiful cinema locations from the north to the south of Italy...
It's in italian, but I suggest it to everyone who loves cinema and is taking off for Italy during this summer!

Hope u enjoy it...
Bye
Robeba