Tea with Mussolini - The Movie [11/11]

Semi-autobiographical tale from the early life of director Franco Zeffirelli looks at the illegitimate son (Charlie Lucas as a child, Baird Wallace as the teen) of an Italian businessman. The boy's mother has died, and he is raised by an Englishwoman (Joan Plowright) in pre-WWII Fascist Italy. Living to each other in Florence, and presided over by an ambassador's widow (Maggie Smith), a group of Englishwomen live a sheltered existence which they believe is guaranteed personal protection in a tea reception given by Il Duce. However, as war breaks out, the women are interned. Occasionally in this English colony is a wealthy American (Cher), who visits among her travels and marriages to wealthy older men. She respects the "Scorpioni", as they are known, and secretly arranges for their stay in a hotel. The ambassador's widow finds her vulgar and tries to ignore her, but when the United States enters the war, the American too is taken into custody. Only then does she discover that her Italian lover (Paolo Seganti) has tricked her into signing over all her money and modern art collection to him, and is now arranging her execution. This obliges all to join forces. Lily Tomlin also appears as an American archaeologist working at a dig in the city.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Tea
• with
• Mussolini
• Cher
• Joan
• Plowright
• Judi
• Dench
• Maggie
• Smith
• Lily
• Tomlin
• Charlie
• Lucas
• Baird
• Wallace
• Franco
• Zeffirelli

[Lisilyn]

You are all welcome! =)

Kisss!!

[ffrancesccaaaa]

maggie smith flipped shit right there :D

Love herr!

[marthica83]

love her too

[pump066]

My favorite of all time!The creme de la creme of the British actresses of our time and two

of Americas top ladies, couldn't be better. And of course the unmistakable handwriting of

genius Franco Zeffirelli.Thank's for posting this!

[FunnyleinLL]

Oh, the german....

[MiaErhardt]

I was crying because when Elsa left everyone knew that luka had a crush on her

[JohnAdams198805]

haha love that line we not english we are the scots haha priceless

[FireEyedMaidOfWar]

But luckily Monsieur Mussolini can calm them down and so they don’t interrupt too much his scheming; the other elements are such as personal dislikes, intrigues, love affairs, friendship and other common affairs of the upper classes and the movie illustrates the global harassment by rich Americans (though they are now bankrupt); no masterwork but an excellent example of elderly actresses still being able to appear in profound movies; and of course for war scene recycling.

[FireEyedMaidOfWar]

He even attempted to speak in other tongues when being abroad; as for the movie it is a lovely tale about elderly Englishwomen living in Italy when the said Marxist Mussolini ruled the country; and being this very cult cultured, educated and elegant women as they are they hardly fit in the age of political salvation ideologies and other modern nonsense and so have no understanding for the necessary terrorisation by the security police or the vulgar uproars of the political rowdies.

[FireEyedMaidOfWar]

Monsieur Zeffirelli should have continued to adopt the Italian plays such as Romeo & Juliet or Much Ado about Nothing of the cinema, as he has done so quite well; but this fuss is mere fraud: The audience would except that it will see the famous Italian Marxist Benito Mussolini drinking tea all the time or conduct the tea ceremony according to Japanese custom as Mussolini has adopted the Marxist commandment of internationalism quite well and tried to style himself as a cosmopolitan.

[VandyTheMissingLinK]

"Do be quiet Major, who-ever-you-are. The Germans and the Italians couldn't get rid of us, there is absolutely no reason why we should surrender to the Scots!" BEST LINE OF THIS MOVIE!!!

[pianor91]

Does anyone know the music beginning at 4.52?

[sgreprettymonkey]

So touching!