L'Amore (1948)

Two short stories on the subject of love starring Anna Magnani and directed by Roberto Rossellini: 1) THE HUMAN VOICE by Jean Cocteau. A woman (Magnani) all alone in her apartment talks to her ex-lover on the telephone on the eve of his marriage to another woman. 2) THE MIRACLE. A simple minded peasant woman (Magnani) is seduced by a stranger (Federico Fellini) who she believes is Saint Joseph and when she later finds out she is carrying his child, she believes it is a miraculous holy birth. The two short films are a showcase for the talents of Anna Magnani who Rossellini greatly admired. Italy's greatest actress and one of the world's greatest actresses, Magnani is legendary for the emotional rawness of her performances. Nothing is held back and she could be all exposed nerves which gave her characters a consistent honesty that "Method" actors could only hope to achieve. This ability is on display in HUMAN VOICE. Who hasn't gone all to pieces after a break up and Magnani delivers all the desperation and pain of trying to keep your dignity while your emotional core is fractured. THE MIRACLE has a controversial history. It was considered sacrilegious and banned in the U.S. and went all the way to the Supreme Court which declared it a form of artistic expression and protected by the First Amendment.