History (1986) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language

1986 · 150 mins · Italian

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Directed by

Luigi Comencini

Starring

Lambert Wilson, Claudia Cardinale, Tobias Hoesl, Francisco Rabal, Fiorenzo Fiorentini, Antonio Degli Schiavi

A widowed, baptized Catholic half‑Jewish woman in Rome is raped by a young German soldier in early 1941, becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son. He grows up with his 16‑year‑old half‑brother, an eager Mussolini fascist. Adapted from a novel, the film weaves their tragic fates into a vivid wartime backdrop, portraying the children as innocent victims in a guilty era.