

A Special Day (Italian: Una giornata particolare) is a 1977 Italian language film which tells the story of a housewife and her neighbor who stay at home in Rome on the day that Adolf Hitler visits Benito Mussolini. It stars Sophia Loren, Marcello Mastroianni and John Vernon, as well as a special cameo appearance by Alessandra Mussolini, and was directed by Ettore Scola. The film was a co-production between companies in Italy and Canada.
Sophia Loren - Antonietta
Marcello Mastroianni - Gabriele
John Vernon - Emanuele, the husband of Antonietta
Alessandra Mussolini - Maria Luisa
Directed by Ettore Scola
Produced by Carlo Ponti
The day is May 8, 1938, the day when Hitler visited Rome to meet Italian premier Mussolini. Also on this day, as her entire family (including her fascist husband) goes to the streets to follow the great meeting and the parade, an Italian housewife (Loren) stays home looking after some domestic tasks. Her apartment building is empty but for a man (Mastroianni) who seems repulsed by fascism (a strange attitude in those days), living in the building across in the complex.
As this chamber drama progresses, and loneliness of each is revealed, the audience learns that this man is a radio broadcaster who has lost his job and is about to be deported to Sardinia, due to his political attitudes and his homosexuality. Unaware of this, the housewife flirts with him, as they meet by chance in the empty building. During their conversation, the rather naïve and mainstream woman is surprised by his opinions and finally shocked when she realizes his sexual orientation.
Nonetheless, despite their fights and arguments, a friendship develops and they eventually make love before he is taken away by the police and her family comes back home.
No-region DVD. In DVD/CD sleeve, photo label.
Italian, English sub-titles.




