History Film / TheGardenOfTheFinziContinis

The film covers events from 1938 to 1943 in the town of Ferrara. At the start of the film UsefulNotes/FascistItaly, prior to this date not at all anti-Semitic, has followed the lead of UsefulNotes/BenitoMussolini's German masters and passed anti-Jewish race laws. Since the Jews of Ferrara are no longer allowed to play tennis in the local tennis club, they go to the home of the Finzi-Continis, an absurdly wealthy family who live in an enormous mansion, on an estate that is protected by high walls and boasts spacious gardens as well as a tennis court. Their great wealth and high walls insulate them from the gradually deteriorating conditions of life for Italy's other Jews.

Giorgio is the son of a middle-class Jewish family, long friends of the Finzi-Continis; he plays tennis on their court and studies with the Finzi-Contini patriarch, a professor. Giorgio is desperately in love with Micol Finzi-Contini, the professor's dazzlingly beautiful daughter and his friend since childhood, but her feelings towards him are more ambiguous. Persons in their social circle include Micol's brother Alberto, Giorgio's brother Alberto, another local Jew named Bruno Lattes, and Giampiero Malnate, who is a Gentile but an anti-fascist.

* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: Micol rejects polite, gentlemanly Giorgio, and has sex with Giampiero, the brash young man who talks about how much he likes sluts.
* DayOfTheJackboot: The jackboot has already been on Italy's neck for 16 years or so, but this film depicts the point at which it turned against Italy's Jews.

* TheFilmOfTheBook: From a 1962 novel by Giorgio Bassani, a Jew from Ferrara whose father was rounded up and sent to his death in a German camp. Bassani was so angry at the film for certain changes (one was making Micol's and Bruno's relationship explicit) that he had his name removed from the screenplay credit.
* {{Flashback}}: Multiple flashbacks showing the childhood friendship of Giorgio and Micol.

* IDontWantToRuinOurFriendship: Although the real reason is that Micol simply doesn't find Giorgio attractive.

* JustFriends: Giorgio and Micol, much to his displeasure, due to her utter lack of romantic interest in him.

* SelectiveObliviousness: For a long time Giorgio's father, who was himself a fascist before Italian fascism turned anti-Semitic, simply refuses to acknowledge how bad things are getting for Italy's Jews.
* SexySoakedShirt: Micol's white blouse hides nothing after she and Giorgio are caught in the rain. Sex almost follows, but she stops it for reasons that later become clear.
* ShamelessFanserviceGirl: When Micol catches Giorgio peeping on her and Bruno, she deliberately exposes her breasts.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: So, ''did'' Giorgio escape? [[AllThereInTheManual The source novel reveals]] that yes, he did.

''The Garden of the Finzi-Continis'' is a 1970 drama film from UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}, directed by Creator/VittorioDeSica.

The film covers events from 1938 to 1943 in the town of Ferrara. At the start of the film UsefulNotes/FascistItaly, prior to this date not at all anti-Semitic, has followed the lead of UsefulNotes/BenitoMussolini's German masters and passed anti-Jewish race laws. Since the Jews of Ferrara are no longer allowed to play tennis in the local tennis club, they go to the home of the Finzi-Continis. The Finzi-Continis are an absurdly wealthy family living in an enormous mansion, on an estate that is protected by high walls and boasts spacious gardens as well as a tennis court. Their great wealth and high walls insulate them from the gradually deteriorating conditions of life for Italy's Jews.

''The Garden of the Finzi-Continis'' is a 1970 film from UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}, directed by Creator/VittorioDeSica.

* TheFilmOfTheBook: From a novel by Giorgio Bassani, a Jew from Ferrara whose father was rounded up and sent to his death in a German camp. Bassani was so angry at the film for certain changes (one was making Micol's and Bruno's relationship explicit) that he had his name removed from the screenplay credit.

Giorgio is the son of a middle-class Jewish family, long friends of the Finzi-Continis; he plays tennis on their court and studies with the Finzi-Contini patriarch, a professor. Giorgio is desperately in love with Micol Finzi-Contini, the professor's dazzlingly beautiful daughter and his friend since childhood, but her feelings towards him are more ambiguous. Persons in their social circle include Micol's brother Alberto, Giorgio's brother Alberto, another local Jew named Lattes, and Malnate, who is a Gentile but an anti-fascist.

* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: Micol rejects polite, gentlemanly Giorgio, and has sex with Bruno, the brash young man who talks about how much he likes sluts.

* ThePeepingTom: Giorgio does this when he sees Micol fleeing across the grounds of the garden, follows her, and looks through a window to see her in the aftermath of sex with Bruno.

Giorgio is the son of a middle-class Jewish family, long friends of the Finzi-Continis; he plays tennis on their court and studies with the Finzi-Contini patriarch, a professor. Giorgio is desperately in love with Micol Finzi-Contini, the professor's dazzlingly beautiful daughter and his friend since childhood, but her feelings towards him are more ambiguous. Persons in their social circle include Micol's brother Alberto, Giorgio's brother Alberto, another local Jew named Lattes, and Bruno Malnate, who is a Gentile but an anti-fascist.

* PeepingTom: Giorgio does this when he sees Micol fleeing across the grounds of the garden, follows her, and looks through a window to see her in the aftermath of sex with Bruno. She catches him, and deliberately exposes her breasts for him.

* UnluckyChildhoodFriend: Giorgio's unfortunate status, as Micol eventually makes brutally clear.
--> '''Micol''': Making love to you would be like doing it with a brother.

* TheFilmOfTheBook: From a novel by Giorgio Bassani, who was so angry at the film for certain changes (one was making Micol's and Bruno's relationship explicit) that he had his name removed from the screenplay credit.

* AllGirlsLoveBadBoys: Micol rejects polite, gentlemanly Giorgio, and has sex with Bruno, the brash young man who talks about how much he likes sluts.