SUMMERTIME (1955)

Jane Hudson (Katherine Hepburn) from Akron, Ohio is what would have been called a spinster back in the 50s, middle-aged and unmarried. She is on a once-in-a-lifetime vacation in Venice, constantly taking home movies with her ever-present hand-cranked camera (how quaint!). A bit awed by the city, she's also clearly looking for some special experience; as she says to Signora Fiorini, the woman running the pensione where she's staying, she wants a "magical miracle" to happen. The pensione is lovely, the view from her room gorgeous, and Fiorini is charming, but the only other people staying there are a typically touristy retired couple, and a scruffy American artist and his sexy young wife who seem to still be in the stage of their relationship where they can't keep their hands off each other. The only person who pays much attention to Jane is a scruffy street kid named Mauro who acts as her informal guide around town. One evening, we see a local man admiring her at an outdoor bistro, and when she notices him noticing her, she panics and leaves. But the next day, she sees a lovely red glass goblet in a shop window, and the owner of the shop, Renato (Rossano Brazzi, pictured with Hepburn), turns out to be the man from the restaurant. He's handsome and kind and seems genuinely interested in drawing her out; she remains resistant but slowly starts to melt and soon they're actively dating. One night after an outdoor concert, he kisses her in a dark alleyway and she kisses him back before muttering "I love you," and going back to her hotel. The next day, she learns that the American artist is having a fling behind his wife's back with Signora Fiorini, which upsets her. That night, as she is to meet Renato for dinner, Jane learns that Renato is married and has three children. When she meets him, he explains that he and his wife are separated, but Jane remains a bundle of nerves—the magic of Venice feels more threatening than miraculous, and her instinct is to dismiss him. But when Renato scolds her for being unrealistic and unwilling to accept the situation she's in, she begins to change her mind.

Based on a play (The Time of the Cuckoos) by Arthur Laurents, this was the last relatively small-scale movie David Lean made before turning to epics like Bridge on the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia. It's beautifully photographed by Jack Hildyard and contains some good performances, and in some ways it feels like a version of Lean's earlier BRIEF ENCOUNTER, but ultimately it winds up an average 'spinster' story. Part of the problem is Hepburn; she has a spirit and fire she can't quite hide, so her character doesn't really ring true. She had the same problem playing a similar character in The Rainmaker two years later. Rosanno Brazzi is quite good as the sweet-natured scoundrel—we have to take his word for his marital situation and we don't get much other background about him, but Brazzi makes him handsome, charming and sympathetic. A young Darren McGavin is the adulterous artist and Italian actress Isa Miranda is quite good as Fiorini, and I was sorry we didn't see more of her character. It's all pretty to look at but finally insubstantial. [DVD]