Malena Family Review

Amidst the war climate, a teenage boy discovering himself becomes love-stricken by Malèna, a sensual woman living in a small, narrow-minded Italian town.Malèna is about the peril of a beauty through the eyes of a 12 year old kid named Renato. He experiences three things on the same day, beginning of war, getting a bike and sees the arrival of Malèna in town. Through his eyes, we see the curse of beauty and loneliness of Malena, whose husband is presumed to be dead, and through his soul we see his love for her.—PaulAs Italy enters World War II, the Sicilian twelve-year-old boy, Renato, gets his first bicycle, and, above all, sets eyes on the sleepy town's most beautiful woman: Malèna, the statuesque newcomer whose husband is off to war. Desired by every man in town, and, at the same time, despised by their jealous wives, Malèna is now the centre of attention and everyone's favourite subject of an increasingly rancorous gossip. Then, with Malèna's husband presumed killed in action, Renato's starry-eyed infatuation turns into obsession, as the unattainable object of his desire becomes, more and more, a victim of her incomparable beauty. Now, Malèna's fall from grace is inevitable. Will Renato finally get up his nerve to protect his eternal fantasy, Malèna?—Nick RiganasOn the day in 1940 that Italy enters the war, two things happen to the 12-year-old Renato: he gets his first bike, and he gets his first look at Malèna. She is a beautiful, silent outsider who's moved to this Sicilian town to be with her husband, Nino. He promptly goes off to war, leaving her to the lustful eyes of the men and the sharp tongues of the women. During the next few years, as Renato grows toward manhood, he watches Malèna suffer and prove her mettle. He sees her loneliness, then grief when Nino is reported dead, the effects of slander on her relationship with her father, her poverty and search for work, and final humiliations. Will Renato learn courage from Malèna and stand up for her?—<[email protected]>