L' Amore (Ways of Love) (1948)
Release Date: Jan 1, 1948 Limited
liked it
Average Rating: 4/5
User Ratings: 213
My Rating
Movie Info
Amore was the two-part Roberto Rossellini film which introduced his notorious vignette "The Miracle." This brief character study, written by Federico Fellini, tells of an incredibly naive Italian peasant woman (Anna Magnani) who is seduced by a passing stranger whom she believes to be Jesus. Thus when she becomes pregnant, Magnani is convinced that she is carrying the New Messiah in her womb. In 1950, "The Miracle" was removed from Amore for international distribution and placed in a three-part
Jan 1, 1948 Limited
Criterion Collection
ADVERTISEMENT
All Critics (4) | Fresh (4) | Rotten (0)
Both shorts get great performances by Magnani.
A bifurcated love letter to Anna Magnani
Audience Reviews for L' Amore (Ways of Love)
Super Reviewer
"L'Amore" is not easy to watch, but it's over within 80 minutes. The film is divided into two separate sections and even rolls extra credits in the middle. The first part (scripted by Cocteau) has just one actor: Magnani, portraying a distraught woman caged in her apartment while anticipating a call from her estranged husband. He has left their five-year relationship, and she would forgive everything if he would simply drop his new lover and return. But he has moved on, even if he's a kind man who doesn't want to hurt her. Her anguish on the phone is searing, but Magnani's flamboyant performance somewhat wears out its welcome as the claustrophobic minutes pass.
The second part (scripted by Fellini, well before his first directed feature) was quite controversial in its day. Slightly longer and much broader in setting and cast, this segment functions as a perverse retelling of the Virgin Mary story. Magnani is an unbalanced homeless woman who mystically encounters St. Joseph (the young, bearded Fellini, who never says a word) on a lonely hill and is impregnated. When she tells others, she is ridiculed. One yearns to find that she's a righteous believer whose claim will be vindicated, but the likely truth is that "St. Joseph" was simply a vagrant wanderer who subdued her with wine and raped her. However, the tale remains somewhat ambiguous -- presumably, the reason for all the protests.
Super Reviewer
Discussion Forum
There are no discussion threads for L' Amore (Ways of Love) yet.
What's Hot On RT
Bradley Cooper's Best Movies
Fast & Furious 6 is Certified Fresh
Fast & Furious cars gallery
Blockbusters ranked!
Featured on RT
- Weekly Ketchup: Fox and Marvel Both Courting Quicksilver for Comic Blockbusters 31
- Critics Consensus: Fast & Furious 6 is Certified Fresh 62
- Red Carpet Photos with Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Gina Carano and More 0
- Video: The Hangover Part III Cast Interviews 0
- Total Recall: Bradley Cooper's Best Movies 51
- Parental Guidance: Epic and Beautiful Creatures 2
- Comic Book Movies You Can Watch Online 16
Top Headlines
-
Evan Peters Joins X-Men: Days of Future Past
0
-
Toby Jones Talks Captain America: The Winter Soldier
1
-
The Poltergeist Reboot May Actually Be a Sequel
18
-
Will Forte Promises MacGruber 2
5
-
Universal Plans Timecop Reboot
2
-
Return of the Jedi Turns 30
2
-
Vin Diesel Says Fast & Furious 7 Will Take Place in L.A.
0
Fresh Links
Featured
Star Trek Movies Ranked
HitFix offers their own take on the worst-to-best of the Enterprise crew's cinematic adventures.
Top 10 Star Trek Villains
Rolling Stone unveils the Enterprise's most irksome adversaries.
Celebrity Yearkbook Flashback
We'll bet you never realized how many stars were cheerleaders and high school athletes!
50 Most Classic Movie Moms
In celebration of Mother's Day, TimeOut offers up 50 iconic matriarchs from the big screen.
Weirdest Movie Siblings
From Twins to The Royal Tenenbaums, Moviefone explores cinema's oddest siblings.
Promos
Follow RT on Twitter!
Spice up your feed with hourly Tomatometer updates!
Foreign Titles
- Ways of Love (L'amore) (DE)
- Ways of Love (L'amore) (UK)
