Making its world premiere in the Venice Classics section at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, the fully restored 4K version of I Married You for Fun (Ti ho sposato per allegria) brings back to the screen Luciano Salce’s 1967 film, adapted from the celebrated stage play by Italian author Natalia Ginzburg and starring unforgettable actress Monica Vitti in one of the most remarkable roles of her career.

The story centers on Giuliana (Vitti), a spirited and unconventional young woman with a messy romantic past. Just before meeting Pietro, she had been on the verge of attempting suicide over a heartbreak. Pietro (Giorgio Albertazzi), is a disciplined and traditional lawyer from a well-to-do bourgeois family. Despite their contrasting personalities and backgrounds, the two fall in love and marry almost instantly.

The screenplay, written by Sandro Continenza, Natalia Ginzburg and Salce himself, captures the couple’s needs within the rigid expectations of 1960s Italian society. The couple’s first days of married life are filled with lively dialogue, cultural misunderstandings and emotional friction. The tension rises when Pietro’s mother and sister pay a visit, exposing even deeper rifts. With photography by Carlo Di Palma, music by Piero Piccioni and editing by Marcello Malvestito, the film brings a vivid atmosphere to this portrait of impulsive yet sincere love.

This important rediscovery restores the original form of a work by Salce, a true master of Italian social comedy  (known in his country for Il federale, La voglia matta, Professor Guido Tersilli, and culminating in the legendary Fantozzi)  and pays tribute to one of the most modern and unclassifiable actresses in Italian, as well as international, cinema.

The 4K restoration was carried out by Cinecittà in its digital laboratories, using film materials found in Paris (preserved at Eclair Preservation) and owned by StudioCanal. Among these materials, two scenes cut by the censors at the time were discovered and have now been reinserted, allowing the Venice audience to enjoy the complete restored version of Salce’s film for the first time ever.

Manuela Cacciamani, CEO of Cinecittà, commented on the announcement: “It is a great honor and joy to pay tribute, at the most important event for Italian cinema, to Monica Vitti, who still today represents an icon of style and talent who represents our film heritage around the world. We recently presented a retrospective of some of her masterpieces in New York and were reminded of what a treasure her films truly are. Monica Vitti is not only a pinnacle of artistic excellence but also a symbol of femininity whose face reflects the shifts and discovery of Italy’s modern identity. We are proud to highlight our cinematic heritage by bringing back into the spotlight the work of Luciano Salce, one of the sharpest observers of Italian show business — a filmmaker who deserves a place in our cultural pantheon. This restoration is a testament to the exceptional sensitivity of Cinecittà’s restoration labs, among the finest in Europe, in treating film as cultural heritage.”

CREDITS

Screenplay Sandro Continenza, Natalia Ginzburg, Luciano Salce
Cinematography Carlo Di Palma
Editing Marcello Malvestito
Production design Piero Poletto
CostumesLuca Sabatelli
Soundtrack Piero Piccioni

Starring Monica Vitti, Giorgio Albertazzi, Maria Grazia Buccella, Rossella Como, Italia Marchesini, Paola Cortini