DIVORCE, ITALIAN STYLE ("Divorzio all'italiana", 1961)

It requires a little (morbid) imagination. This month, we're leaving Visconti and Thomas Mann behind in favor of a different approach to death, rooted in wishful thinking and a little jurisprudence. Join us as we discuss Pietro Germi's landmark dark comedy about a man dead-set on splitting with his wife...

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DIVORCE ITALIAN STYLE ("Divorzio all'italiana", 1961)
Dir. by Pietro Germi
Available to watch on HBO Max, or on the Criterion Channel. If you have neither subscription service, you can watch the film here.

The honeymoon period is OVER! After years of marriage to the doting Rosalia, Ferdinando is about at his wits' end. Not only has he fallen out of love with his wife, but he's actually starting to find her kind of unbearable. To make matters worse, he's recently fallen for a younger, more enchanting woman. But it's the Sixties, and divorce is not a legal option in Italy. What's a guy to do? If you said "orchestrate a romantic encounter between your wife and another man so that you can 'catch' her cheating on you and have legal carte blanche to murder her," you're probably reading the same news stories as Ferdinando, who is inspired by a recent court case to set up a similarly convoluted plan in order to rid himself of his own personal ball and chain. But it turns out getting your wife to cheat on you isn't all that easy when she's, you know, loving, loyal, and kind. Fefe'll take it as a challenge.

Macabre and mordantly witty, Divorce Italian Style is part-social commentary, part-absurdist black comedy that abounds with ridiculous characters and some pretty inventive fantasy scenarios. Let's talk about it!

*As always, this is a movie discussion group—we invite you to watch the film on your own ahead of time, and come ready to discuss.*