La belle Romaine

So many movies glorify prostitution, and so many movies don't capture one hundredth of the essence of confliction a woman has to go through before she joins that profession. Woman of Rome is an Italian drama that shows how Gina Lollobrigida walks the streets...for no good reason.

Gina is a good girl with a pushy mother, Pina Piovani, who wants her to use her beauty to catch a rich husband. Instead, Gina falls for a penniless chauffer. Before she finds out he's already married and has a family, she goes out on a double date with a girlfriend, who is a prostitute. Gina knows what's going on, and she drinks too much wine and goes into the back bedroom with her date. Then, on the drive home, he gives her some money and she acts horrified. While it's a lovely expression on Gina's face, it doesn't exactly endear her to the audience. She made such bad choices before she could have been seen as taking revenge on her married boyfriend. After she does find out his situation, she becomes a prostitute full time.

This movie really isn't very good, even for Gina Lollobrigida fans. Yes, she looks beautiful, but the story is really silly. It's full of constant and needless narration from Gina herself, and her exploits make her unlikable, at best. If you're in the mood for a better foreign drama, check Gina out in The Law instead.