That Splendid November (1969)

That Splendid November is special because it turns a sun-drenched Sicilian family gathering into a quietly incendiary study of desire, hypocrisy, and the rules a society pretends are sacred. Mauro Bolognini films the aristocratic rituals and volcanic emotions with the elegance of a period postcard and the sting of a confession, letting tension simmer in glances, silences, and the heavy air of tradition. Gina Lollobrigida is mesmerizing as Cettina—radiant, knowing, and just ambiguous enough to keep you leaning in—while the young man’s awakening feels less like romance than a collision with adulthood’s compromises. It’s not a tidy love story or a modern moral fable, but if you’re drawn to lush, provocative European dramas that dare you to feel conflicted, this one lingers like a forbidden memory.

That Splendid November is aiming for a lush, scandal-tinged romance that exposes the hypocrisy of “respectable” Sicilian family life, with Bolognini staging it like a decadent, sunlit trap. The problem is that the central relationship is intentionally provocative and male-gaze-heavy, and if you’re not on board with its erotic, power-imbalanced setup, the film can feel more like indulgence than insight. It also moves at a measured, old-school pace where mood and symbolism matter more than characters making choices you can root for, so don’t expect modern emotional clarity or catharsis. If you can accept that, there’s real value in the atmosphere, the period sheen, and Gina Lollobrigida’s commanding screen presence—even when the story keeps you at arm’s length.