I Knew Her Well (1965)
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
This prismatic portrait of the days and nights of a party girl in sixties Rome is a revelation. On the surface, 'I Knew Her Well', directed by Antonio Pietrangeli, plays like an inversion of La dolce vita with a woman at its center, following the gorgeous, seemingly liberated Adriana (Divorce Italian Style's Stefania Sandrelli) as she dallies with a wide variety of men, attends parties, goes to modeling gigs, and circulates among the rich and famous. Despite its often light tone, though, the film is a stealth portrait of a suffocating culture that regularly dehumanizes people, especially women. A seriocomic character study that never strays from its complicated central figure while keeping us at an emotional remove, 'I Knew Her Well' is one of the most overlooked films of the sixties, by turns hilarious, tragic, and altogether jaw-dropping. - Actors:
- Stefania Sandrelli, Mario Adorf, Jean-Claude Brialy, Joachim Fuchsberger, Nino Manfredi, Enrico Maria Salerno, Ugo Tognazzi, Karin Dor, Franco Fabrizi, Turi Ferro, Robert Hoffmann, Franco Nero, Véronique Vendell, Franca Polesello, Renato Terra, Claudio Camaso, Barbara Nelli, Cesarino Miceli Picardi, Solvi Stubing, Rod Dana
- Directors:
- Antonio Pietrangeli
- Producers:
- Turi Vasile, Luggi Waldleitner
- Writers:
- Antonio Pietrangeli, Ruggero Maccari, Ettore Scola
- Aka:
- Io la conoscevo bene
- Genres:
- Classics, Drama
- Countries:
- Italy
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- Not released
- Run Time:
- 115 minutes
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Reviews (1) of I Knew Her Well
Pop, Parties, and a Punch to the Gut - I Knew Her Well review by griggs
Once overlooked, now rightly celebrated, this isn’t a stylish gem of 1960s Italian cinema set to the pulse of a pop soundtrack. I Knew Her Well follows Adriana, a young woman chasing glamour and celebrity without the armour to survive them. She drifts through parties, auditions, and fleeting affairs with wide-eyed charm, but beneath the sparkle lies a vulnerability she never recognises until it’s too late.
Antonio Pietrangeli directs with deceptive lightness, letting the music and fashion dazzle while exposing how fragile the surface is. The satire of fame and the indifference of men cut deep, yet what endures is Adriana herself—unguarded, uncertain, heartbreakingly human. By th trimester the story reaches its inevitable close, foreknowledge only sharpens the impact. The film doesn’t just sting, it leaves a bruise, lingering long after the last song fades.