Trivia / Malèna

• Dawson Casting: Giuseppe Sulfaro was fifteen years old at the time of filming. He plays Renato from ages twelve to fourteen.
• Dyeing for Your Art: Monica Bellucci dyed her hair red, then blonde and then had it cut off on camera.
• Enforced Method Acting: In order to get Giuseppe Sulfaro comfortable in their scenes together, Monica Bellucci would greet him every morning with a kiss on the lips.
• No Export for You: More than 15 minutes was cut from the film for its non-Italian release (perhaps because the Italian definition of a family movie - which, believe it or not, is what this is in Italy - differs from that in Britain, Denmark, the US and other countries which got the scissors out).
• Reality Subtext: Giuseppe Sulfaro claims he had never seen a naked woman before, and Monica Bellucci was therefore the first he ever saw.
• Star-Making Role: Monica Bellucci had appeared in a couple of mainstream films - Bram Stoker's Dracula for instance - but they were minor roles and she was better known as a model. This brought her to worldwide attention and led to her getting roles in The Matrix Reloaded, The Brothers Grimm, The Passion of the Christ, also becoming quite the sex symbol too.