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I love this movie so much

Simply A Masterpiece

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Katharine Hepburn was nominated for Best Actress at the Academy Awards for the sixth time for her role in Summertime. In short, it's a summer romance between a middle-aged straight-laced American spinster and a hot-blooded Italian. After all, the only circumstances in which a woman would even think of becoming involved with a foreigner would be when she's in a foreign land surrounded by foreigners and no one back home could find out, right? Even from the premise, I found the story a bit politically incorrect, and as the film progressed, I found it more stereotypical than entertaining.Kate the spinster starts out taking a timid vacation in Venice. She doesn't let her hair down until she meets Rossano Brazzi, a kind, handsome, respectful shop owner. He doesn't paw her or ogle her as the other Italians have, and she's drawn to him. Then, of course, when the romance starts, his passionate nature—because he's an Italian, you know—inspires her own hidden passion. In this Italian vacation, infidelity runs rampant, and the cultural differences are pounded into the audience's head. There's a little street urchin who harasses the tourists and tries to scam them out of their money, a character that puts the icing on the cake that isn't particularly respectful to the Italian nationality.If you love movies that show off on-location scenery, there are lots of other films that you can watch. Try Three Coins in the Fountain or A Room with a View for glorious Italian surroundings. Yes, Summertime was filmed in Italy, but the most entertaining souvenir that was picked up was Katharine Hepburn's lifelong eye infection after falling into the filthy canals during filming.

Amidst the enchanting, but faded beauty of Venice, a middle-aged tourist, on the trip of a lifetime, and perhaps conscious of her own fading beauty, starts to live out her dreams of finding love. The reality is of course less than her idea of perfection, and she realises an affair may be doomed from the start, but how does she come to terms with this?.With David Lean at the helm, H.E.Bates helping with the screenplay, and Katharine Hepburn on screen, this was always likely to be a remarkable film, and even with these high expectations one is not disappointed.The way the film is structured is very clever; even early on one sees that the realities and vices of life will intrude on any beautiful fantasy, even in a magical place like Venice. For example, we see a television aerial on a medieval rooftop as the music strikes a discordant note, and we later see rubbish being dumped in the canals; such matters are brought to a head and confronted as the film reaches its climax.Making the film was not easy; the authorities were reluctant to allow filming there at all. Swimming in the canals of Venice is certainly not to be recommended; Hepburn's dunking apparently left her with recurrent conjunctivitis, despite attempts to disinfect the water beforehand.Ultimately the film benefited Venice's tourist trade enormously; visitor numbers began to shoot up immediately after the film's release and have not stopped yet. Near-deserted streets, as seen in the film, may have been rare at the time but are unheard of these days.My only disappointment (and perhaps this is too strong a word, I feel churlish writing it) is that the film is (in TV/DVD form) usually seen in 4:3. Apparently 5:3 was originally intended, and whilst it can be altered easily enough (by losing the top and bottom of the frame) when viewed using modern equipment, it of course comes with a loss of quality. It isn't that the film doesn't look marvellous in 4:3; it most certainly does. But having seen the incredible cinematography that Lean gave us in 'Lawrence of Arabia' and 'Ryan's Daughter', one can only imagine how it could look on video had the intended aspect ratio been respected during the transfer. My consolation is that it is a different kind of film, and if I had to choose one of these three to be seen in this aspect ratio, it would be this one.The film was criticised for its depiction of extra-marital affairs at the time, and had some scenes cut as a consequence, but what remains is rather beautiful; as fragile and wonderful as a gardenia bloom, love is just as easily lost, just as likely to drift away, just as likely to slip through your fingers, if you are ever lucky enough to find it in the first place.

Summertime is David Lean and Katherine Hepburn's love letter to lonely, middle aged secretaries everywhere. Although the film is rather thin and at times acts more like a tourist reel of Venice, the performances by Hepburn - the best of her work in the 1950s - and the incredibly charming and suave Rossano Brazzi makes up for the film's weak points. The film is a breezy adaptation of an Arthur Laurents play that while on paper seems to be nothing particularly special, is enlivened by Lean's vivid direction and the chemistry between Hepburn and Brazzi. She plays a lonely secretary traveling through Venice, and he is a lonely store keeper. They meet, fall in love, yet they must part because she has to return home. Hepburn's typically heavy mannerisms and her increasingly croaky voice appear only a little bit here in the beginning but after the first 10 minutes she is nothing but great. It certainly is a charming film and the last scene at a train station is just spectacular.

Ohio secretary Jane Hudson (Katharine Hepburn) has saved up for years to visit Venice and it's everything she hoped it would be...exquisitely beautiful and romantic...but lonely. Or so she thinks on her first night there, as she sits alone and watches the lovers in Piazza San Marco. Then, she sees Renato (Rossano Brazzi), a handsome and charming shopkeeper, and she starts to change her mind. He pursues her, too, and before you can say, "Buona Sera!" they fall in love. Jane now thinks Venice is perfectly glorious, but some information about Renato may change her opinion of both him and Venice.Directed by David Lean who is known for his wonderful epic movies, this is a very simple and intimate story of a middle-aged woman's wistful dream of romance. It's easy to feel Jane's initial pain and later, her exhilaration. Hepburn is perfectly cast and gives a touching performance, full of longing and spunk. Charismatic Brazzi was just starting his American film career in 1955 when he played Renato, and he certainly could sweep a woman off her feet. Filmed entirely in Venice, the scenery is lovingly photographed, and there's even a sweet subplot about a little boy. Highly recommended for those who like a mature romance in an idyllic setting. Lovely.