Four Steps in the Clouds
Encyclopedia
Quattro passi fra le nuvole (U.S. title: Four Steps in the Clouds) is a 1942
Italian
drama film
directed by Alessandro Blasetti
. Close to Italian neorealism
.
It was nominated for BAFTA as Best Film from any Source.
in 1995 and as Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke in 2000.
. He leads a stable, if somewhat boring, family life in a large unnamed city in the North of Italy.
While travelling on a South bound train on company business, he sees a young woman about to be put off by the conductor. She has no ticket and cannot afford to buy one. The agent helps her stay on the train, and she asks if he could do one more favour for her. She has just been abandoned by her boyfriend upon becoming pregnant and she is now on her way back to the family farm. She has nowhere else to go but is certain that her father will throw her out as soon as he realizes that she is unmarried.
She is terrified and begs the agent to come home with her and pass himself off as her husband. The deception need only last a couple of days, after which he can go back to his normal life and job and she can claim to have been abandoned. The agent decides that taking a couple of days off work is a small price to pay for saving the girl's honour for the rest of her life and gets off the train with her.
Arriving on the farm, the agent finds it hard to maintain the lie, but in an impassioned speech, convinces the girl's father to let her stay at home. After which, he goes back to his wife and family without mentioning the incident.
1942 in film
The year 1942 in film involved some significant events, in particular the release of a film consistently rated as one of the greatest of all time, Casablanca.-Events:...
Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Alessandro Blasetti
Alessandro Blasetti
Alessandro Blasetti was an Italian film director who influenced Italian neorealism with the film Quattro passi fra le nuvole...
. Close to Italian neorealism
Italian neorealism
Italian neorealism is a style of film characterized by stories set amongst the poor and working class, filmed on location, frequently using nonprofessional actors...
.
It was nominated for BAFTA as Best Film from any Source.
Remakes
The film was remade several times, as Sous le ciel de Provence in 1956, as A Walk in the CloudsA Walk in the Clouds
A Walk in the Clouds is a 1995 American romantic drama film directed by Alfonso Arau. The screenplay by Robert Mark Kamen, Mark Miller, and Harvey Weitzman is based on the 1942 Italian film Four Steps in the Clouds by Piero Tellini, Cesare Zavattini, and Vittorio de Benedetti.-Plot:Shortly after...
in 1995 and as Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke in 2000.
Plot
The story deals with a married agent for a candy manufacturer, played by Gino CerviGino Cervi
Gino Cervi was an Italian actor of international fame.Cervi was born in Bologna. His father was the theatre critic Antonio Cervi.In 1928, he married Nini Gordini and they had a son, Tonino Cervi...
. He leads a stable, if somewhat boring, family life in a large unnamed city in the North of Italy.
While travelling on a South bound train on company business, he sees a young woman about to be put off by the conductor. She has no ticket and cannot afford to buy one. The agent helps her stay on the train, and she asks if he could do one more favour for her. She has just been abandoned by her boyfriend upon becoming pregnant and she is now on her way back to the family farm. She has nowhere else to go but is certain that her father will throw her out as soon as he realizes that she is unmarried.
She is terrified and begs the agent to come home with her and pass himself off as her husband. The deception need only last a couple of days, after which he can go back to his normal life and job and she can claim to have been abandoned. The agent decides that taking a couple of days off work is a small price to pay for saving the girl's honour for the rest of her life and gets off the train with her.
Arriving on the farm, the agent finds it hard to maintain the lie, but in an impassioned speech, convinces the girl's father to let her stay at home. After which, he goes back to his wife and family without mentioning the incident.
Cast
- Gino CerviGino CerviGino Cervi was an Italian actor of international fame.Cervi was born in Bologna. His father was the theatre critic Antonio Cervi.In 1928, he married Nini Gordini and they had a son, Tonino Cervi...
... Paolo Bianchi - Adriana BenettiAdriana Benetti-Biography:Born in Quacchio, an east-area of Ferrara, Adriana graduated at Istituto Magistrale of her city, to landfall then in Rome, where she was accepted at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia...
... Maria - Giuditta RissoneGiuditta RissoneGiuditta Rissone was an Italian film actress. She appeared in 25 films between 1933 and 1966.She was born in Genoa, Italy and died in Rome, Italy. She was married to director and actor Vittorio De Sica...
... Clara Bianchi - Carlo RomanoCarlo RomanoCarlo Romano was an Italian film actor and screenwriter. He appeared in 94 films between 1934 and 1975. He also wrote for 14 films between 1955 and 1975...
... Antonio, l'autista della corriera - Guido CelanoGuido CelanoGuido Celano was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 120 films between 1931 and 1988.He was born in Francavilla a Mare, Italy and died in Rome, Italy.-Selected filmography:*Rotaie, directed by Mario Camerini...
... Pasquale - Fratello di Maria - Margherita Seglin ... Luisa, madre di Maria e Pasquale
- Aldo SilvaniAldo SilvaniAldo Silvani was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 112 films between 1934 and 1964.He was born in Turin, Italy and died in Milan, Italy.-Selected filmography:* Four Steps in the Clouds...
... Luca, padre di Maria e Pasquale - Mario Siletti ... Il fattorino della corriera
- Oreste BilanciaOreste BilanciaOreste Bilancia was an Italian film actor.Born in Catania, Sicily he was a star of Italian films in the silent era...
... Il droghiere di Campolo - Gildo BocciGildo BocciGildo Bocci was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 60 films between 1913 and 1959.He was born and died in Rome, Italy.-Selected filmography:* The Last Days of Pompeii...
... Il contadino sulla corriera - Arturo Bragaglia ... Il viaggiatore nervoso
- Anna Carena... La maestra sulla corriera
- Pina GalliniPina GalliniPina Gallini was an Italian film actress. She appeared in 82 films between 1935 and 1963.She was born in Bondeno, Italy and died in Bologna, Italy.-Selected filmography:* Four Steps in the Clouds...
... Signora Clelia - Luciano ManaraLuciano ManaraLuciano Manara was an Italian soldier and politician of the Risorgimento era, who took part in the Roman Republic.-Life:Manara was born in Milan....
... Il settentrionale - Armando MigliariArmando MigliariArmando Migliari , was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 103 films between 1914 and 1965.He was born in Latium, Italy and died in Rome, Italy.-Selected filmography:* La Damigella di Bard...
... Antonio, il capostazione