The Circumstance
| The Circumstance | |
|---|---|
| Italian | La Circostanza | 
| Directed by | Ermanno Olmi | 
| Screenplay by | Ermanno Olmi | 
| Cinematography | Elvidio Burattini | 
| Edited by | Ermanno Olmi | 
Production company  | |
| Distributed by | Italnoleggio Cinematografico | 
Release date  | 
  | 
Running time  | 96 | 
| Country | Italy | 
| Language | Italian | 
The Circumstance (Italian: La Circostanza) is a 1973 Italian drama film written, directed and edited by Ermanno Olmi.[1] The film was screened at the 1974 San Sebastián International Film Festival, where it received a special mention.[1][2]
Plot
Laura, a lawyer who comes from an upper-class Milanese family, leads an altogether placid life. After witnessing an almost-fatal motorcycle accident near her family's country home, she becomes obsessed with the young victim, leading to a series of flashbacks and introspective instants that probe the bourgeois life she leads.
Cast
- Ada Savelli as Laura
 - Raffaella Bianichi as Silvia, Laura's daughter
 - Gaetano Porro as Laura's husband
 - Massimo Tabak as Tommaso, Laura's second son
 - Mario Sireci as Beppe, Laura's eldest son
 - Barbara Pezzuto as Anna, Beppe's wife
 
Reception
Critic Derek Elley titled The Circumstance a "romantic highpoint in Olmi's oeuvre" and "his most accomplished piece of work."[3]
Legacy
The Circumstance was screened at Film at Lincoln Center in 2019 as part of a retrospective on Olmi's work.[4]
External links
References
- ^ a b c "La Circostanza". Cinematografo (in Italian). Retrieved 3 March 2024.
 - ^ "22 edition. 1974 Awards". San Sebastian Film Festival (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 May 2020.
 - ^ "THE CIRCUMSTANCE". Cleveland Institute of Art. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
 - ^ "The Circumstance". Film at Lincoln Center. Retrieved 3 March 2024.