Napoli is a colorful city, made up of so many colors that the 400 movies set in the city aren’t enough to catch all of them. In fact, the Parthenopean city served as a background for many masterpieces of both Italian and international cinema. Sophia Loren, Julia Roberts, and Vittorio De Sica are just some of the famous actors and actresses involved in the cinema production in Napoli.

In this article, you will learn about the most beautiful movies set in Napoli, movies that express the Parthenopean soul at its best.

Marriage Italian Style

Marriage Italian Style is a 1964 film by Vittorio De Sica, based on the theatrical comedy Filumena Marturano by Eduardo De Filippo. In addition, the main characters of the movie are portrayed by Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni, two of the greatest actors in the history of cinema.

Everything revolves around the characters of Domenico Soriano, a rich Neapolitan patissier, and Filomena Marturano, a former prostitute with whom the man has had a relationship for 20 years. The relation between Domenico and Filumena is shown throughout the film: the woman wants to redeem herself, while she fights for a better future for her three sons.

Both Sophia and Marcello received nominations at the Oscar thanks to this film.

Naples in veils

Naples in veils is a 2017 movie by Ferzan Özpetek. In this film, we can see a Napoli suspended between magic and sensuality, with a touch of superstition. The plot focuses on the character of Adriana, who is at the center of passionate love and a violent homicide. Hence, Adriana's tormented existence is reflected in the city of Napoli, which evolves according to the emotions and the thought of the woman. For example, one of the most iconic scenes is surely the one of Veiled Christ in Cappella Sansevero, a statue that summarizes the essence of the movie.

Paisan

Paisan is a 1946 war drama directed by Roberto Rossellini, considered as one of the peaks of Italian Neorealism. Paisan is divided into six episodes, which tell the story of the advance of the Allies from Sicily to Northern Italy. The second episode is set in Napoli, where Joe, an Afro-American soldier meets Pasquale, a Neapolitan “scugnizzo” while drunk. When Joe falls asleep, after talking for a long time about his dreams and future plans, the boy steals his shoes. Some days later, the soldier meets Pasquale again and forces him to give him back the shoes. So, Joe goes to the boy’s home and finds out that he is an orphan, whose parents were dead because of the bombing. As a result, he is touched by this episode and lets Pasquale keep the shoes.

Eat Pray Love

Eat Pray Love is a 2010 movie by Ryan Murphy, based on the homonymous autobiographical book by Elizabeth Gilbert. Hence, the same Elizabeth Gilbert is also the main character, who is portrayed by Julia Roberts. Firstly, after her divorce, Elizabeth decides to travel the world and leave everything behind. Secondly, among the places she visits, there is Napoli, where the woman discovers good food and learns to let herself go to the pleasures of la dolce vita. For instance, one of the most iconic scenes is the one in which Elizabeth is in Napoli’s most famous pizzeria and declares to have found the love of her life. A man? No, pizza.

Poverty and Nobility

This list couldn’t possibly miss the great Totò. Poverty and Nobility (1954) is maybe one of the most famous films starring Totò, directed by Mario Mottoli and inspired by the homonymous comedy, set in Napoli in 1890. In the movie, Totò portrays Felice Sciosciammocca, a divorced broke man who lives with his son’s family and works occasionally as a scribe at Teatro San Carlo. Hence, the movie revolves around the life of the two families, who share the lack of food and the pressure of the landlord, who wants the money from rent.

Here you can watch Totò dedicating a poem to his beloved Napoli.

The Gold of Naples

The Gold of Naples is a 1954 anthology film directed by Vittorio De Sica. The movie is based on the homonymous book by Giuseppe Marotta and it shows the life in folkloristic Neapolitan neighborhoods, among fallen nobility, pizza makers and the Neapolitan “guappi”.

As a result, a true and authentic representation of Napoli is shown throughout the movie, with bad and good feelings, ceremonials and humiliations. Moreover, among the actors and actresses, there are some of the best ones of Italian and International cinema, such as Sophia Loren, Totò, Eduardo De Filippo and Vittorio De Sica, too.

You can watch the famous scene of the pizza made by Sofia, who is portrayed by Sophia Loren, here.

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March 2nd, 2021