Two Women 2017

In the midst of World War II, widow Cesira (Loren) and her deeply devout 12-year-old daughter, Rosetta (Brown), flee their war-torn home in Rome for the rural province of Ciociaria, where Cesira was born. As they prepare to leave, Cesira forms a temporary alliance with Giovanni (Vallone), a local coal dealer, who agrees to safeguard her store in her absence. This brief respite from the chaos provides a sense of normalcy before the mother-daughter duo embarks on their perilous journey.

Once settled in Ciociaria, Cesira catches the attention of Michele (Belmondo), a young intellectual with strong communist sympathies. Rosetta is drawn to Michele’s guidance and wisdom, viewing him as a father figure and forming a deep bond with him. However, their idyllic life is disrupted when Michele is captured by German soldiers and forced to serve as a guide through the treacherous terrain.

As the Allies liberate Rome in June 1944, Cesira and Rosetta decide to return to their city, but their journey takes a devastating turn when they are brutally gang-raped inside a church by Moroccan Goumiers - soldiers attached to the Allied forces. This traumatic event shatters Rosetta’s innocence, leaving her emotionally detached and distant from her mother.

When the two eventually find shelter in a neighboring village, Rosetta vanishes during the night, sending Cesira into a state of panic. Believing Rosetta has gone to look for Michele, Cesira is devastated when she later learns that Michele was killed by the Germans. Rosetta returns, having spent time with an older boy who has given her silk stockings - a symbol of her newfound maturity despite her youth. Cesira’s outrage and disappointment are palpable as she slaps and scolds Rosetta for her behavior, but Rosetta remains numb, emotionally frozen. It is only when Cesira reveals Michele’s tragic fate that Rosetta’s tears flow like those of the innocent child she once was. The film concludes with Cesira cradling her traumatized daughter in a poignant display of maternal love and compassion.