An Italian in America (1967) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The movie spans multiple locations across Italy and the United States. It begins at a Gulf gas station in Viterbo, Italy, then moves to New York for a televised reunion, continues with a cross-country road trip to Las Vegas, and ultimately settles in Memphis, Tennessee, where the final scenes take place near the Mississippi River.

• viterbo
• new york
• las vegas
• memphis
• locations
• italy
• usa

The film is set in the contemporary era of the mid-20th century, during a period when cross-country road trips and television spectacles like the This Is Your Life format were culturally prominent. The story unfolds against a media-driven backdrop typical of 1950s-1960s American showbiz.

• time period
• era
• mid-20th century
• 1950s
• 1960s

The film explores four major themes: Illusion, which examines how the televised reunion manufactures affection rather than genuine reconciliation; Family, focusing on Giuseppe's longing for a father figure and the costs of deception; Money & Showbiz, revealing how wealth and entertainment conceal moral compromise; and Identity, following Giuseppe's search for belonging as he navigates between Italian and American cultures.

• themes
• illusion
• family
• money
• showbiz
• identity

Giuseppe Marossi is the protagonist, a hard-working young Italian man who operates a Gulf gas station in Viterbo. He is hopeful and longs for a sense of belonging and connection to his absent father. Throughout the story, his trust is tested as the glamorous world of showbiz reveals itself as deception, yet his capacity for compassion remains intact.

• giuseppe marossi
• protagonist
• italian character

Lando Marossi is Giuseppe's father, portrayed as a suave but unscrupulous patriarch who has been absent from his son's life. He uses wealth and show-business connections to cover his debts and stage a grand televised reunion primarily to extract money from Giuseppe. His schemes unravel, exposing a man driven by self-preservation rather than genuine familial connection.

• lando marossi
• father
• patriarch
• vittorio de sica

Eveline is Lando's sister-in-law who runs a general store and gas station in Memphis, Tennessee, located across from Lando's circle. She becomes Giuseppe's love interest, offering a grounded Southern counterpoint to the showbiz spectacle. Through their romance, she provides Giuseppe with a new chance at belonging in America.

• eveline
• memphis
• love interest
• romance

The Illusion theme exposes how the televised This Is Your Life-style reunion is less about genuine reconciliation and more about profit and performance. The showmanship masks truth, and the road-trip sequence reveals the illusory wealth and empty promises behind Lando's persona. The consequences ripple through Giuseppe's trust and his view of family.

• illusion
• television
• reunion
• deception
• showbiz

Giuseppe's journey represents a search for roots and belonging that extends beyond his Italian upbringing. The cross-cultural romance with Eveline in Memphis anchors his sense of self in a new cultural landscape. The conclusion hints at a redefined sense of home rather than a simple reunion with his father, suggesting Giuseppe finds belonging through creating a new life in America.

• identity
• belonging
• italian american
• culture
• home

The TV presenter hosts the This Is Your Life-style reunion episode that brings Giuseppe and Lando together. He orchestrates the televised moment and embodies the lure and reach of television as a medium that pushes the narrative toward manipulation and spectacle rather than authentic emotional reconciliation.

• tv presenter
• host
• television
• this is your life

Memphis represents the destination and conclusion of Giuseppe's journey across America. It is where Eveline runs her general store and gas station, serving as a contrast to the showbiz chaos of New York and Las Vegas. The Mississippi River near Memphis frames Giuseppe's uncertain future at a new life in America, symbolizing both transition and possibility.

• memphis
• mississippi river
• final destination
• new life