GamerTab That was an excellent one.

RyothChatty ridiculous rating

NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

Tacticalin An absolute waste of money

Robert J. Maxwell This is Vittorio De Sica's last great movie. And it really is good.Sophia Loren and her angelic twelve-year-old daughter, Eleanora Brown, run a small shop in Rome during the German occupation. A nearby explosion from an Allied bomb turns the place into a shambles and Loren decides to take her daughter and live with distant relatives in a small country town.Life isn't a bed of roses there either, but it's better than Rome, with only the occasional handful of retreating German soldiers to deal with. The Germans are not shown as simply evil monsters. Earlier, before the deposing of Mussolini, a train load of soldiers is seen cheerfully whistling at Loren and chanting a song, just as any soldiers would do. Later, when the road is rougher, the Germans become more determined and forceful, again as most soldiers would, since their lives are at stake.Then the Allies liberate southern Italy and the pressure on the citizens if relieved. The refugees in the small town, bid one another good-bye and leave. Loren and Brown begin their trek back to Rome to rebuild the store, but it's not as easy as it seems. The Americans whistle at Loren too. Who wouldn't? She's stunningly beautiful. She has the large expressive eyes of a lovable but wary cow. And her big boobs wobble with every movement she makes. The Moroccans who are fighting alongside the Americans are even more demonstrative -- too much so. They trap Loren and her daughter in a wrecked, abandoned church and gang rape both of them in a scene that will chill any viewer down to the bone.As inured to harsh treatment as she is, Loren recovers consciousness and rushes to her daughter, sobbing and trying to wipe away the virginal blood from Brown's thighs. They continue trying to reach Rome, their pleas ignored by Americans who think Loren is crazy. It's impossible to know what is happening in Eleanora Brown's mind. She stares into space and barely speaks. Yet, when they're picked up by a loud and affable truck driver, Brown begins to flirt with him.During this scene, the camera is aimed through open the window on the passenger's side, where Loren is sitting, slumping with fatigue. Her head sags against the door in a close up and we can see every crack and wrinkle on her lips, and the tears forming behind her heavy lids. It's a tragic moment. Loren pulls it off and De Sica gets it on film. She gives a marvelous performance. She won an Oscar for it, not that it matters.What a splendid movie. When it was finished, after the necessary cathartic moment, I found myself thinking not only of Italian refugees but of all refugees of all wars. You're not likely to forget it quickly.

MarieGabrielle I confess that this film was showing late one night on TCM and initially the idea of a war film was not an appealing prospect at one o'clock in the morning.That being said,I realized how much we lose by prejudging film, and actors by their more recent performances. As Sophia Loren was popular before my time, I remember her from fluff and spy movies such as "Arabesque" with Gregory Peck. A forgettable film, at most. Not so for "Two Women".The performance of her innocent daughter Rosetta, is also marked and memorable. Refugees from the bombing of Rome during World War II, Sophia Loren as Cesira, and her daughter are fleeing the city, come across relatives in the country, and encounter a harrowing fate.The feel of the film is palpable and stark, the scene and the shadows of the men as they come across these two women in the effigy of a church, is ominous and effective. The expressions and body language of Loren are heart-rending and sorrowful, as we see her realize what has become of her daughter, what has become of their world. The scene I will remember most is where she is finally rescued, her daughter begins to sing, recovering from the attack. Cesira (Loren) turns her face outward, toward the window, ravaged and ruined, yet finding some strength to continue on. We see a multitude of emotions cross her face without uttering one word.Truly a film not to be missed for Sophia Loren's performance alone. 9/10.

whpratt1 This is a story about a mother and her daughter who are trying to keep alive during WW II and and meet up with one problem after another. The mother is Cesira, (Sophia Loren) and her daughter is Rosetta, (Eleonora Brown). Cesira lost her husband in the war and these two women have to manage on their own and face the everyday perils of war and men of war coming and going through their county side. Unfortunately, these two women are attacked by a group of men who gang rape them both which destroys their outlook on life and the fear of men in general. Cesira is very protective of her Rosetta as she is only thirteen years of age and was a virgin and horribly violated and had her first sex experience turn into a nightmare. It is not long after the rape that the mother and daughter are picked up by a truck driver who becomes friendly with the daughter and another serious matter develops. Great film, but very upsetting to view.

edwagreen Sophia Loren is truly memorable in her Oscar winning performance of 1961.She portrays a mother trying to help her child survive World War 11 in Italy.Unable to put up with the bombings in Rome, she decides to flee with her daughter to the countryside. There she will meet adventure after adventure.A widow, who had been married to a much older man, she had a lover whose only wish is that a bomb should fall on his wife so that he could be free to marry Loren.During her adventure, she meets Michele, solemnly played by Jean-Paul Belmondo. A man who had one time thought of becoming a priest, he lusts for her before tragedy ensues.The molestation scenes are adeptly depicted. This was also an unfortunate part of war.A memorable film made better by Loren's captivating performance. A gem of a film.