Roman Dialogue (1983) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language

1983 · 61 mins · Italian

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Directed by

Marguerite Duras

Starring

Paolo Graziosi, Anna Nogara, Goliarda Sapienza

The film centers on a dialogue between a man and a woman—whether lovers or spouses matters little—as they speak against the backdrop of Rome, never shown on screen. Director Marguerite Duras uses the city's weighty, inseparable presence to echo the couple’s unresolved tension, contrasting Rome’s dense, timeless atmosphere with the airy openness of Paris, suggesting that both the city’s essence and the difficulties of love remain ultimately indefinable.