INDISCRETION OF AN AMERICAN WIFE

Vittorio De Sica's 1953 attempt to wed an American approach of story telling to an Italian neo-realist background; neo-realism wins. Jennifer Jones spends more than an hour deciding whether to leave Rome or sleep with Montgomery Clift--most people would make that decision in five minutes. The soap opera at the core is perfectly serviceable; the real reason to see the film is the background. Filmed on location at Stazione Termini, the director fills the screen with extras, supporting characters and tiny subplots that are more fascinating than the central characters (especially a woman who has to be taken to the first aid department because she's pregnant). Richard Beymer of West Side Story makes one of his first appearances as Dick Beymer.