In between the 1954 black-and-white comedy Hobson’s Choice and the 1957 widescreen color epic Bridge on the River Kwai, filmmaker David Lean helmed this glorious Technicolor romance that manages to be both visually grand and deeply intimate (presented in a 1:37:1 aspect ratio).
Shot on location in Venice, 1955’s Summertime—based on Arthur Laurents’ play The Time of the Cuckoo—stars Katharine Hepburn in one of her best performances as Jane Hudson, a no longer young, single secretary from Ohio who has saved up for one big overseas excursion. Jane’s bubbly exterior hides gnawing loneliness that is truly painful to witness, especially when she tries to join a couple at the Pensione Fiorini—a B&B run by the titular widow (Isa Miranda)—and is mildly rebuffed by the husband (Darren McGavin).
All the wonders of the floating city in the summertime—the Bridge of Sighs, art museums, the people-watching-friendly Piazza San Marco—can’t quite ease Jane’s melancholy, but she is determined to enjoy herself and is truly dazzled by Venice’s multitude of charms, shepherded around by an industrious street urchin named Mauro (Gaetano Autiero), who provides comic relief while milking the tourists.
Observing others while drinking coffee at the aforementioned Piazza San Marco, Jane notices that she is being watched by a handsome middle-aged Italian at a nearby table. Jane will re-encounter Renato de Rossi (Rossano Brazzi) when she wanders into his antique shop and he tries to engage her in some lightly innuendo-inflected banter. Later, a flustered, mildly lovestruck Jane will be visited at the pensione by Renato, who will more determinedly press his amorous case.
Once Jane’s starry-eyed romantic idealism is set in contrast to Renato’s dogged but pragmatic pursuit, viewers can guess where all this is headed (and get out their handkerchiefs, accordingly). But then the story takes a simultaneously heartbreaking and heart-lifting turn that underscores the film’s reputation as one of the best romances of the ‘50s.
Credit further belongs to two elements: the first being Jack Hildyard’s beautiful cinematography, capturing sunny Venice by day and the shadowy city by night; even within the constraints of the smaller aspect ratio, Venice feels expansive. The second, of course, is Hepburn, who was never one of the bombshell starlets of classic Hollywood but could act the pants off all of her colleagues. Hepburn’s shifts from pained loneliness to girlish delight over being courted plays out across her eyes in a showcase performance that won her an Oscar nomination.
Presented in a lovely 4K restoration, extras include a new interview with film historian Melanie Williams, a 1963 interview with director David Lean, audio excerpts of a 1988 interview with cinematographer Jack Hildyard, and a leaflet with an essay by film critic Stephanie Zacharek.
A luminous whirlwind romance tale whose maturity far outstrips many contemporary rom-coms, Summertime is a deeply affecting classic with a commanding turn by Hepburn. Highly recommended.