Sicily is a fascinating land, at the center of the Mediterranean Sea, which is why it’s very variegated, both for its nature and its culture. Cinema couldn’t resist that appeal and portrayed the island in different ways and different periods of history.

In this article, you will learn about the most beautiful movies set in Sicily, very famous ones, who influenced the mass culture and put the beauty of this island under the spotlight.

Cinema Paradiso

Cinema Paradiso is a 1988 film by Giuseppe Tornatore, who won an Academy Award for this. At the center of the film, we find the character of Salvatore, a successful director who lives in Rome and hadn’t been to his hometown in Sicily for a long time. But he later finds out about the death of Alfredo, the old projectionist of Cinema Paradiso, the little cinema of his hometown.

Alfredo was very important to Salvatore, as he made him discover the art of cinema. So, he decides to go back to his town in Sicily, but everything has changed: Cinema Paradiso doesn’t exist anymore, and his old love is now married with children. Salvatore goes back to Rome with many regrets and a film that was left to him by Alfredo: that film includes all the censored scenes that Salvatore wanted to watch when he was a child. To him, that film becomes a symbol of the immortality of cinema and a memory of his old friend.

Paisà

Paisan is a masterpiece of Italian Neorealism, it is a 1946 collective movie directed by Roberto Rossellini. It is divided into 6 episodes, which tell the advance of the Allies from Sicily to Northern Italy during WWII. In fact, the first episode is about Sicily.

When they arrive on the island, American soldiers find women taking shelter in a Church. Carmela, a girl, offers to accompany them over the minefield and they arrive at a castle. While the other soldiers check the area, Carmela and Joe, a soldier, are found by Germans, who kill the man. So, Carmela tries to shoot them, but she is killed and her body is thrown from the balcony. When the American soldiers come back, they only find Joe’s body and they think the girl killed him.

The Godfather

The Godfather is a big international success, a 1972 film by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the homonymous novel by Mario Puzo. It is considered one of the masterpieces of international cinema and it won three Academy Awards. The movie is about the story of a mafia Italian-American family in New York, Corleone, and the rise of the son when his father is killed. Nevertheless, even though the story takes place in the Big Apple, some scenes are set in Sicily, in particular in Savoca, Forza d’Acrò, and the Teatro Massimo in Palermo.

Here one of the scenes set in Sicily.

Malèna

Malèna is a 2000 movie directed by Giuseppe Tornatore. The main character of the movie is Maddalena Scordìa, called Malèna, who is portrayed by Monica Bellucci. It is set in an imaginary town in Sicily during WWII and it revolves around the figure of Malèna, who was left alone as her husband went to war. She is the most beautiful woman in town, and her beauty causes her a lot of problems, due to the lust of men and the jealousy of women. Malèna was filmed in Noto, Siracusa, and Catania, as it shows the most beautiful squares and seafronts.

Here you can watch some of the scenes showing the most beautiful places.

Divorce Italian Style

Divorce Italian Style is a 1961 movie directed by Pietro Germi, who won an Academy Award for it. You can find famous actors in the movie, such as Marcello Mastroianni and Stefania Sandrelli. The movie is set in a small town in Sicily and it tells the story of Baron Ferdinando Cefalù, who wants to leave his wife and marry his niece, even though divorce was still illegal in Italy.

Baarìa

Baarìa is a 2009 movie by Giuseppe Tornatore, set in Bagheria, which is known as “Baaria” in the Sicilian dialect. The plot revolves around the story of a Sicilian family, told through three generations. As a result, a part of Italian history is told from the point of view of the inhabitants of this little town.

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March 3rd, 2021