Armchair Escapism 6

The Bicycle Thieves
When I watched the Bicycle Thieves for the first time, I kept it together all throughout the film. In the final three seconds, I burst into tears. Italy’s iconic director, Vittorio de Sica takes us through the bustling streets of Rome as we follow the story of Antonio Ricci. Ricci is a working-class Roman in search of a job. He finally secures one which requires a bicycle, and on that very same day his bicycle is stolen. He desperately tries to hunt down his thief accompanied by Bruno, his little son. It’s a gripping and heart-wrenching tale showing Rome as a beauty and a beast.

Waiting for Dalí
An eccentric and quirky film set in the little village of Cadaques in the 1970s where the renowned artist, Salvador Dalí was from.  There, Jules runs a beachside restaurant called ‘El Surreal’ which pays homage to Dalí. When brothers Fernando and Alberto flee political tensions in Barcelona, they land a job at ‘El Surreal’ helping Jules to elevate his culinary flair and improve his chances of Dalí booking a table. Against the backdrop of flamboyant kitchen nightmares, love, art, and politics intertwine.

Chocolat
In a small and deeply conservative French village in the 1950s, Vianne opens a chocolate shop during Lent. Her liberal and unorthodox approach to her businesses causes quite a stir among her devout fellow citizens and especially angers the mayor. Yet Vianne’s irresistible chocolates and her winning personality begin to change the tides of resistance…perhaps chocolate isn’t as naughty as it seems!

The Leopard, Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
Arguably one of the most important novels to emerge from Italian literature. Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s poignant tale captures the decline of Sicilian aristocracy in the 19th century. Fabrizio Salina, an Italian prince is struggling with the political tensions burdening his country. Change is in the air, and through Salina’s lens, the author navigates themes of decay, transformation and the inevitability of time. This is a masterpiece of literature but also an important insight into the social dynamics of the 19th century which have shaped modern Italy. 

Up at the villa, W Somerset Maugham
In ‘Up at the ‘Villa,’ the idyllic Italian countryside becomes the setting of forbidden passions, webs of lies, and even murder. Mary Panton, a widow stays at an acquaintance’s spectacular villa. A chance encounter turns into a tragic series of events that will change her life for better or worse. This short novella is a real page turner written with charm, wit, and intelligence.

The Yellow House
Towards the end of the 19th century, two of the most famous artists in French history were living in the sleepy town of Arles in Provence. Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gaugin shared a roof for little over 2 months and in that time they also shared ideas, inspirations, and tensions. Some of the artists’ most significant works were painted within that time solidifying a vital moment of artistic exchange. Yet, these were two complicated figures and the honeymoon period was bound to come to an end. Martin Gayford explores this extraordinary relationship between Van Gogh and Gaugin and their time spent in the Yellow House.