L'Amore in Città (Love in the City)

Cesare Zavattini—one of post–World War II Italian cinema's leading neorealists—wrote screenplays for many of the classics, and was the guiding force behind this 1953 anthology film, contributing to the scripts of five of six episodes about love (or at least lust) in Rome, and co-directing one, Storia di Caterina, with Francesco Maselli—a re-creation of the true story of a mother who abandons her child, starring the woman herself. Other segments are helmed by Carlo Lizzani (Love for Money, on prostitution), Dino Risi (Paradise for Three Hours, about a dance hall), and Alberto Lattuada (Italians Turn Their Heads, which records men ogling women on the street). Each of these has interesting elements, but most viewers will be drawn to this release for the segments directed by Michelangelo Antonioni (Attempted Suicide, presenting a montage of interviews with real-life survivors) and Federico Fellini (Marriage Agency, a surrealistic tale about an investigative journalist who plans to unmask the methods of the titular outfit—by claiming to seek a prospective bride for a friend who's a werewolf). Like many omnibus productions, L'Amore in Città (Love in the City) is of variable quality; even the Antonioni and Fellini contributions have to be classified as lesser works. Still, it offers a solid representation of those directors' early years, as well as a decent sampling of neorealism. DVD extras include audio commentaries, and interviews with film critics. Recommended. (F. Swietek)