A stroll from piazza to piazza may uncover an unexpected stage ‘prop’: a remnant of an ancient marble column here, an ornate fountain there. And the colours of the buildings on winding cobbled streets provide the perfect mise en scène: warm oranges, yellows and every shade of pink from cherry blossom to dusky rose.
This cinematic city also seems to have its own score. Dean Martin’s 'Volare' or the dulcet tones of 'L’Appuntamento' sung by Ornella Vanoni may spring to mind, but Rome has its own inherent soundtrack: the rush of motorinos zipping around the streets, the gentle trickle of water fountains and the chitter chatter of animated Italians.
Rome's elegant streets have so many stories to tell; it’s no wonder that since the early days of cinematic history film directors and screenwriters alike have chosen it as the perfect tableau for some equally stylish films. Here are three of my favourites.
LA DOLCE VITA (1960)
If all the world’s a stage then the baroque Fontana di Trevi, with its elaborate decoration and dramatic lighting, is an obvious filming locale, emerging spectacularly from its tightly-packed neighbouring side-streets like an impromptu stage setting. The image of the late Anita Ekberg cavorting in its waters in Federico Fellini’s paparazzi tale is an iconic scene: resplendent in a black evening gown, Anita's character Sylvia throws off her fur stole to take a romantic midnight paddle.
THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY (1999)
Part of Anthony Minghella's film version of Patricia Highsmith's thriller novel of the same name sees its pivotal characters taking to 1950s Rome; an era when rich American expats lived the high life and spent languorous afternoons socialising at terrace cafes on the Piazza Navona. Gwyneth Paltrow portrays debutante Marge Sherwood, an effortlessly stylish debutante who manages to look glamorous even when flying around the city on the back of a motorino (think classic trench coat, dusky blue dress, tortoiseshell sunglasses and cherry red lipstick). And, of course, there's the nefarious Tom Ripley (played by Matt Damon) who shuns the cheap suit and battered satchel get-up and assumes his alter ego in Gucci loafers, cashmere and the finest Italian couture.
ROMAN HOLIDAY (1953)
Audrey Hepburn won a Best Actress Oscar for her role in William Wyler's Roman caper. Hepburn's Princess Ann breaks away from the confines of a Royal visit to Europe for a whistle-stop tour of the Eternal City, led by the charming newspaper reporter, Joe Bradley (the dashing Gregory Peck). Her day as a tourist includes a liberating haircut near the Trevi fountain, braving the ancient lie detector – the Bocca della Verità (Mouth of Truth) - at the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, and savouring gelato on the Spanish Steps at Piazza di Spagna, all the while donning a simple and timeless combination of cotton shirt, skirt and pair of espadrilles.
PS: Read more musings on the Eternal City here.