Rent Summertime (1955)
3.5 of 5 from 109 ratings
1h 36min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- In a tour de force of fearless vulnerability, Katharine Hepburn portrays the conflicting emotions that stir the heart of a lonely, middle-aged American tourist who is forced to confront her insecurities when she is drawn into a seemingly impossible affair with a charming Italian shopkeeper (Rossano Brazzi) amid the ancient city's canals and piazzas. Lean's personal favorite among his own films, 'Summertime' is an exquisitely tender evocation of the magic and melancholy of a fleeting, not-quite-fairy-tale romance.
- Actors:
- Katharine Hepburn, Rossano Brazzi, Isa Miranda, Darren McGavin, Mari Aldon, Jane Rose, MacDonald Parke, Jeremy Spenser, Gaetano Autiero, Virginia Simeon
- Directors:
- David Lean
- Producers:
- Ilya Lopert
- Writers:
- Arthur Laurents, H.E. Bates, David Lean, Donald Ogden Stewart
- Aka:
- Summer Madness
- Studio:
- Second Sight Films Ltd.
- Genres:
- Classics, Drama, Romance
- Collections:
- Getting to Know..., Holidays Film Collection, Introducing a British Film Family, Oscar's Two-Time Club, Top 10 Films Set in Venice, Top 10 Screen Kisses (1896-1979)
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 25/07/2022
- Run Time:
- 100 minutes
- Languages:
- English LPCM Mono
- Subtitles:
- English Hard of Hearing
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Full Screen 1.37:1
- Colour:
- Technicolor
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- New interview with film historian Melanie Williams
- Interview from 1963 with director David Lean
- Audio excerpts from a 1988 interview with cinematographer Jack Hildyard
- Trailer
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Reviews (3) of Summertime
Enchanting view of a sublime Venice. - Summertime review by CB
Beautifully filmed in Venice, a treat of its own. The storyline is predictable, so what, The star is as magnetic as ever. Just the ending though....did they run out of ideas or money? Seemed rushed and deflationary.
2 out of 2 members found this review helpful.
Venice Travelogue - Summertime review by NO
Delightful Film-no surprises but Venice is beautifully filmed .Simple story for swooning teenagers.Hepburn is excellent & Rossano charming.
I am not surprised that David Lean made Venice his second home after this.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
Venetian Holiday. - Summertime review by Steve
Another brief encounter for David Lean. Katherine Hepburn plays a loud but lonely and introverted American tourist in Venice. She makes friends with a barefoot child before falling in love with a handsome, romantic antique dealer (Rossano Brazzi) who encourages her to embrace life. So it's a kind of fantasy, except the poetic Italian is married with four children.
Kate gets top billing, but Venice is the star. The bright, sunny Technicolor is joyful. And the rich sound is evocative. The middle aged sightseer films everything and we see through her eyes, a city of history, romance and miracles. A place where the shell of her new world pragmatism might crack and a painful emotional rebirth take place.
There were many films after WWII, about a single American woman of a certain age finding adventure in a touristic Europe. And there are no real surprises here. But while this is formula, it is supremely crafted. Its strengths are the spectacular location photography and a salty performance by Hepburn... but also a feeling of euphoric optimism.
I much prefer the acting of an older Hepburn. Though it is obvious what is coming, it is easy to empathise with her brittle solitude. Brazzi is a very smooth and wise seducer who seems to stroll around tourist sights looking for lonely travellers. Lean attempts to create an impression of Venice at the dawn of mass tourism. He should see it now.
0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.