Search - The Garden of the Finzi Continis on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Adult Situations, Questionable for Children Movie Release: 1970 DVD Release: 06/19/2001 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: Italian Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 30 mins Studio: Columbia TriStar Members Wishing: 11 Genres: Drama, War Drama, Family Drama

Vittorio De Sica directs the lyrical war drama Il Giardino dei Finzi-Contini (The Garden of the Finzi-Continis), based on a book by Giorgio Bassani. In Ferrara, Italy, at the beginning of WWII, anti-Semitism is spreading. Mussolini has passed several laws that forbid Jews from going to public schools, joining the army, or marrying non-Jews. While many middle-class Jewish families flee the country, the Finzi-Continis believe it's safe inside their sprawling estate. As a wealthy, aristocratic Jewish family, they think their luxurious garden walls will protect them from fascism. Micol Finzi Contini (Dominique Sanda) and her brother (Helmut Berger) invite their Jewish friends to join them in the estate for parties, tennis, and games while the war ravages on. Middle-class Jew Giorgio (Lino Capolicchio) attends the parties with his friend Malnate (Fabio Testi). Giorgio and Micol are childhood sweethearts, but she begins to reject him in favor of Malnate. She also refuses to accept that there's a war going on. Eventually they can pretend no longer, and the war closes in on them. The Garden of the Finzi-Continis won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1971. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

Dominique Sanda - Micol
Lino Capolicchio - Giorgio
Helmut Berger - Alberto
Fabio Testi - Malnate
Romolo Valli - Giorgio's Father

Vittorio De Sica's powerful 1970 film The Gardens of Fitzi-Continis comes to DVD with a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The Italian soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Stereo. English subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include filmographies and trailers. This is a fine release from Columbia/TriStar that should be of interest to any international film enthusiast. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide