10 Greatest Films of Sophia Loren
Sophia Loren was born Sofia Scicolone in Rome, in 1934. At the age of 14, she won a beauty contest in Naples and began to catch the attention of filmmakers. Her big break came in 1954 when director Vittorio De Sica cast her in the film L’oro di Napoli (The Gold of Naples). De Sica and Loren would go on to do 14 movies together.
Her first English language film was The Pride and the Passion in 1957, with Cary Grant and Frank Sinatra. In 1960 she became the first person to win an Academy Award for a foreign language performance in the film La ciociara (Two Women). In her more than 80 films she has shown a range for both comedy and drama, as well as being defined as one of the most sultry stars to ever grace the screen.
10. I girasoli (Sunflower) (1970) — Director Vittorio De Sica took Sophia and Marcello Mastroianni to Moscow to make this film. She plays the wife of an Italian soldier sent to the Russian front during the war. When he doesn’t return, after the war, she goes to Russia to find him.
9. Arabesque (1966) — A goofy, very much tongue-in-cheek spy story. Arabesque is more of an experience than a story — don’t try to understand it, just ride along with Sophia and Gregory Peck.
“Don’t worry. If I were standing stark naked in front of Mr. Pollock, he’d probably yawn.” — Yasmin
8. Una giornata particolare (A Special Day) (1977) — It’s a simple story. It’s the day that Hitler visited Rome. Antonietta (Sophia Loren) has stayed home while her husband and children go to the parade. She meets her neighbor, a gay man named Gabriele, played by Marcello Mastroianni and the two talk and develop a relationship as the day proceeds. That’s basically it, but Sophia and Marcello challenge each other and both give great performances.
7. L’oro di Napoli (The Gold of Naples) (1954) — An anthology film, based on the short stories of Giuseppe Marotta and directed by Vittorio De Sica. It is filmed in Sophia’s home town of Naples. Sophia plays a wife that loses her wedding ring at her boyfriend’s place.
6. It Started in Naples (1960) — It’s hard to say which is more stunning, the beautiful island of Capri or Sophia Loren, in this film. I saw this film a week after returning from Capri. Her presence is felt on that island. This is not one of Clark Gable’s best performances.
5. Houseboat (1958) — If anyone could steal attention from Cary Grant, it would be la perfetta Sophia Loren. Houseboat was their second film together. Grant plays a wealthy widower that moves his kids onto a houseboat and hires Loren to be their nanny.
4. El Cid (1961) — In this epic telling of the story of the Spanish knight that rid his country of the Moorish conquerers, with Charlton Heston in the titular role, Sophia Loren plays El Cid’s wife, Jimena.
3. Matrimonio all’italiana (Marriage Italian Style) (1964) — Sophia plays the longtime mistress of a businessman and reveals that one of her three children is his. She was nominated for another Oscar, for her performance in this film.
2. Ieri, Oggi, Domani (Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow) (1963) — three stories, each featuring Sophia and Marcello Mastroianni — but playing different roles. Each story features Sophia’s character getting into trouble with the law. The first story is cute and funny. The second is the least interesting. The third features the famous — and perfect — striptease.
1. La ciociara (Two Women) (1960) — Sophia Loren won honors a Cannes and a Best Actress Oscar for her role as a mother trying to protect her daughter during World War II. The mother and daughter experience a terrible ordeal.
“Do you know what they have done those “heroes” that you command? Do you know what your great soldiers have done in a holy church under the eyes of the madonna? Do you know?” — Cesira
Contenders for this list also included Grumpier Old Men in which Sophia is on screen with Walter Mathau, Jack Lemmon, and Ann-Margret, Pret-a-Porter, and The Fall of the Roman Empire.
What would have made your list?
