The 1964 Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, yet another entry into director Vittorio De Sica’s ‘lighter fair’ filmography, is likely his best from that period. Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni team up again for what is essentially a collection of three stories, but nonetheless works as a unified whole.
The first story—set in a poor neighborhood in Naples in 1953—is the “Yesterday” in the title. Loren plays Adelina, a young wife who supports her child, and unemployed husband, Carmine (Mastroianni), by selling illegal black market Marlboro’s on the street. Adelina has already been ticketed once, and their failure to pay the fine means jail time for her. Then she discovers an interesting legal loophole. If pregnant, she can’t be put in jail. Women are given six months to nurse the infant before they can be incarcerated, so whenever that six-month window comes around, Adelina makes sure she’s with child. Clearly played for laughs, with each child, Adelina becomes more ravishing, while Carmine looks increasingly worn out from all the sex. By longer able to ‘perform,’ Adelina must decide: does she finally go to jail, or tempt Carmine’s best friend, Pasquele (Aldo Giuffrè), into knocking her up? Very funny, this story challenges the traditional ideas of devotion, and celebrates the sense of community among the poor.
The second story—the “Today” of the title, is the polar opposite of the first story. More serious in tone, it’s a look at infidelity among the rich. Loren plays Anna, a wealthy Milan housewife whose industrialist husband is out of the country on business. Driving around the city in a Rolls-Royce, tells us the humdrum details of her everyday life. Filmed in the first person, it becomes apparent that Anna isn’t necessarily a very nice person. She picks up her lover Renzo (Mastroianni) a struggling writer, and the two spend the day casually riding around, talking, and looking for a place to make love. Anna claims she loves Renzo because he isn’t materialistic, but the way she drives her Rolls—lightly bumping the car in front of her every time they stop at a red light—seems to suggest otherwise. Their attitudes are tested when Renzo switches to the driver’s seat and accidently crashes. Soon, both parties’ attitudes are abundantly clear.
The third story—the “Tomorrow” section of the title is undoubtedly best known for its strip-tease finale in which Loren slowly undresses, revealing a sexy outfit complete with garters, while Mastroianni sits on the bed with knees folded up to his chest, leering excitedly and letting out wolf-like howls. Loren plays Mara, a high-class prostitute living in the heart of Rome. Mara’s services involve more than sex; she’s a friend, companion, and nurse. Augusto Rusconi (Mastroianni), the son of a financier and politician, is one of her most loyal clients. In the habit of stopping by whenever he’s feeling randy, Augusto’s plans are regularly foiled when Mara meets young acolyte priest, Umberto (Gianni Ridolfi). The priest-in-training is in love, and when he threatens to leave the seminary, Umberto’s devout grandparents declare Mara their arch enemy. In an effort to make peace, Mara vows to abstain from sex for a week and, with Augusto’s help, convince the young priest not to leave the seminary. For his help, the now unbearably horny Augusto is rewarded with a strip-tease, but alas, Mara remembers her vow of celibacy right before she starts to unclasp her bra, leaving Augusto in need of a cold shower. In a stroke of genius, De Sica leaves him and the audience wanting more.
Restored and remastered, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow comes to Blu-ray in an anamorphic 2.35:1 transfer. While there are some inconsistencies, Kino has done a great job here. Color quality is especially nuanced and well-defined, and black levels are strong. While details are occasionally smeared, much of the time it looks clear. Grain is handled well, lending the movie a warm, film-like glow.
The Dolby TrueHD 1.0 track works well here. Dialogue sounds as it was originally designed; music comes through as well as can be expected. There’s not an a lot of surround activity, but it sounds as good as it probably ever will.
The Blu-ray disc itself only sports 1080p trailers for Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow (4:12), Marriage Italian Style (1:50), and Sunflower (3:59), along with a high definition stills gallery, but the real treat is on the also-included DVD, which contains Vittorio D. (SD, 1:35:26), a feature-length documentary about the life, career, and legacy of the influential actor/director. Here, you’ll find extensive interviews with De Sica’s family and fellow filmmakers, including Clint Eastwood, Woody Allen, Mike Leigh, John Landis, and more. Vittorio D. is a must-see.
