"Yesterday Today and Tomorrow" - Best Shot Visual Index

This week's Hit Me With Your Best Shot subject is Vittorio de Sica's gorgeous comic love song, three of them, to Italy and super-sized movie star charisma. Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni are special on their own but together it's something else again. Vittorio de Sica is one of Italy's great directors but usually when people reference him they're talking about neo realism and his classic The Bicycle Thief. That's nothing at all like this colorful playful romantic comedy. The film was shot by Giuseppe Rotunno who also lensed Rocco & His Brothers (previously covered in this very series) and later went on to an Oscar nomination for the Bob Fosse masterpiece All That Jazz (1979). Yesterday Today and Tomorrrow was a hit, another feather in both stars caps (they were already international superstars) and won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film and a BAFTA for "Foreign Actor" for Mastroianni but today it's underdiscussed.

It remains most famous for one scene in particular, Sophia's modest but ultra sexy little striptease pulling a stocking down to the horny delight of childlike Marcello. The stars later riffed on that scene together in Robert Atlman's fashion comedy Pret a Porter. Since there are so many images in this post (one from each short film from most of the participants) they'll have to go after the jump. And if these images and great articles don't convince you to see this Oscar winner, all hope is lost!  

YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW
The Best Shots
Chosen by 14 Participants 

Part 1 "Adelina of Naples"
In which Sophia is Marcello's highly fertile wife avoiding prison time by having babies

A Fistful of Films

Antagony & EcstasyCoco Hits NY

Awards Madness

Sorta That Guy

The Film ExperienceThe Film's The Thing
Video ValhallaSebastian NebelQueerer ThingsPaul Outlaw

Film Actually Entertainment Junkie

Part 2 "Anna of Milan"
In which Sophia is a rich socialite wife on a pleasure drive with her boytoy on the side, Marcello 

Queerer Things

The Film's The Thing

Entertainment Junkie

Coco Hits NYVideo Valhalla

Awards MadnessAntagony & Ecstasy

Film Actually

Sebastian Nebel
Sorta That GuyDusty Hixenbaugh

Part 3 "Mara of Rome"
In which Sophia is a call girl and Marcello her favorite client. A religious family lives next door and disapproves

Sorta That Guy

Video Valhalla

Film Actually

Queerer ThingsAntagony & Ecstasy

Sebastian Nebel
The Film's The Thing
Awards MadnessEntertainment Junkie

NEXT WEEK'S FILM - FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT, APRIL 1ST
MOMMIE DEAREST (1981) 

Comments

[Sebastian Nebel]

I've collected my favorite shots (in three separate posts) over at my site.

[NATHANIEL R]

added. thank you.

[Andrew]

Loved revisiting this. I only wish that I had read through those rules closer before I did, otherwise I would have chosen three scenes too :-(

[NATHANIEL R]

Andrew -- that'll teach you to skim! :)

[denny]

I didn't get a chance to watch this yet! Maybe I'll get to tonight - so love participating, it makes the reading of everyone else's articles all the more meaningful.