Release Date: 12/25/2000 (US)
Duration: 1h 49m
Genre: Drama
Overview
Renato, who is 12 years old at the time, receives his first bike and his first glimpse of Malèna on the day Italy joins the war in 1940. She’s a lovely, quiet outsider who’s relocated to Sicily to be with her husband, Nico. He goes to fight right away, making her vulnerable to the men’s lustful gazes and the women’s harsh tongues. Renato sees Malèna struggle and prove her mettle over the next few years as he matures into a man. He witnesses her depression, followed by sorrow as Nico is pronounced dead, the consequences of speculation on her father’s friendship, her poverty and job quest, and finally her humiliations. Will Renato take Malèna’s bravery and stand up for her?