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A Special Day

Play trailer Poster for A Special Day 1977 1h 46m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 10 Reviews 92% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
In Rome, fascist supporter Emanuele (John Vernon) attends a parade commemorating Adolf Hitler's historic meeting with Italian leader Benito Mussolini, leaving his apolitical wife, Antonietta (Sophia Loren), to tend to household duties. Antonietta encounters a man, Gabriele (Marcello Mastroianni), who appears surprisingly nonplussed by the political event. Over the course of the day, the two forge a close friendship that will forever change their perceptions of life, love and politics.
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A Special Day

Critics Reviews

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Clayton Dillard Slant Magazine Oct 14, 2015
The Criterion Collection's 4K Blu-ray offers a beautiful transfer of Ettore Scola's long unavailable gem. Go to Full Review Vincent Canby New York Times May 9, 2005
In Ettore Scola's funny, humane A Special Day, Antonietta and Gabriele are never really a couple, but their brief encounter lights up the screen with the kind of radiance you get only from great movie actors who also are great stars. Go to Full Review Eric Rogers Gay Community News (Boston) Aug 30, 2022
The movie offers a moving story of two tortured souls struggling against the quiet violence that preceded the holocaust. Go to Full Review Yasser Medina Cinefilia Aug 8, 2020
7/10
It is a moving film by Scola about gender stereotypes, the social condition of women and the overwhelming way in which fascism condemned the dignity of working class people. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Jesús Fernández Santos El Pais (Spain) Jul 26, 2019
Ettore Scola analyzes the present and makes us see and feel the intolerance that still persists. [Full Review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Nathanael Hood The Retro Set Dec 28, 2018
8/10
A Special Day remains a particularly potent demonstration of Ettore Scola's tremendous talents. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Henry D @Henry_Domke Apr 17, 2026 Not easy to take such worn-out surroundings and turn them into something so beautiful. Many of the shots felt like great photographs in a fine art exhibit. Pasqualino De Santis’s sepia palette gives the whole film the look of classic fine art photography. The distant Hitler rally creates a powerful contrast to the sudden, intense connection between Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni. A great film. See more Thomas S @RT53929595 Aug 22, 2025 A film I wish I had discovered earlier. Una giornata particolare is a quietly devastating reflection on the burden of being different in a world that demands conformity. It reminded me of Coluche’s famous line: “It’s not because they’re all wrong that they’re right.” Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni deliver extraordinary performances, embodying fragility and dignity in the face of oppression. A masterpiece of subtlety and humanism, whose simplicity makes it all the more powerful. See more Michael F @Michael445 Sep 30, 2024 I saw this film years ago but was too young then to appreciate it. I’m very glad I revisited this movie because it’s a gem. Brilliant performances from Mastroianni and Loren. See more Lars N @movie_douche Sep 9, 2024 Although small in scale, A Special Day benefits from the narrative constrictions (one day/one apartment complex) to deliver a quietly wonderful and significant film. See more erroll f @Repok Oct 11, 2023 Loren and Mastriani give, perhaps the best performances of their careers in this brilliant study of loneliness and persecution. See more Sep 17, 2020 Ettore Scola shows with delicacy and tact a situation so distant in the times but so current. Two characters who live situations of hardship and difficulty in a fascist Rome that sees a strong patriarchy and that affects both. A perfect interpretation of Marcello Mastroianni and a really modern theme. Spectacular direction and shots by Ettore Scola. See more Read all reviews
A Special Day

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Cast & Crew

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Ettore Scola

Director

Sophia Loren

Antonietta Taberi

Marcello Mastroianni

Gabriele

John Vernon

Emanuele, the husband of Antonietta

Françoise Berd

Caretaker

Tiziano De Persio

Arnaldo

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A Special Day

A Special Day (1977) A Special Day (1977) A Special Day (1977) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis In Rome, fascist supporter Emanuele (John Vernon) attends a parade commemorating Adolf Hitler's historic meeting with Italian leader Benito Mussolini, leaving his apolitical wife, Antonietta (Sophia Loren), to tend to household duties. Antonietta encounters a man, Gabriele (Marcello Mastroianni), who appears surprisingly nonplussed by the political event. Over the course of the day, the two forge a close friendship that will forever change their perceptions of life, love and politics.
Director
Ettore Scola
Producer
Carlo Ponti
Screenwriter
Maurizio Costanzo, Ettore Scola
Distributor
Cinema 5 Distributing
Production Co
Canafox, Compagnia Cinematografica Champion
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Italian
Release Date (Theaters)
May 17, 1977, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 8, 2015
Runtime
1h 46m
Sound Mix
Mono
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