Malena (2000) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language

2000 · 109 mins · Italian

Directed by

Giuseppe Tornatore

Starring

Monica Bellucci, Fabrizio Ferracane, Aurora Quattrocchi, Giuseppe Sulfaro, Alessandro Cremona, Paola Pace

Set in a small, conservative Italian town during World War II, a teenage boy becomes obsessed with the strikingly beautiful Malèna, a young widow whose presence provokes both envy and admiration. As he navigates his own coming‑of‑age, he watches her struggle against the town’s narrow‑minded judgments and the harsh realities of war.