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Comedy drama

A Difficult Life (1961): Cast, Box Office & Plot

A Difficult Life (1961) movie poster

A Difficult Life is a 1961 comedy drama directed by Dino Risi, starring Alberto Sordi as Silvio Magnozzi, Lea Massari and Franco Fabrizi. It runs 1 hour 58 minutes and earned $71,630 worldwide.

A Difficult Life (1961) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 58m (118 min)
Director
Dino Risi
Genres
Drama , Comedy
Original language
Italian
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is A Difficult Life About?

The premise of A Difficult Life without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Silvio refuses to fight for the fascists and joins the resistance with Elena. After the war, his vitriolic newspaper articles cause him to be sentenced to imprisonment.

A Difficult Life Themes & Keywords

· 6 tags
  • italy
  • journalist
  • husband wife relationship
  • communist party
  • commedia all'italiana
  • italian comedy
Cast & crew

A Difficult Life Cast & Characters

Alberto Sordi leads the cast as Silvio Magnozzi, with Lea Massari as Elena Pavinato and Franco Fabrizi as Franco Simonini. Directed by Dino Risi; 18 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in A Difficult Life

· 14 more
Plot

A Difficult Life Plot Summary

What happens in A Difficult Life from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 11 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

A sweeping, intimate chronicle of Italy’s postwar transformation, seen through one man’s evolving ideals and the changing world around him.

Silvio Alberto Sordi Magnozzi is a young Roman who rises from the poverty of wartime Italy to become a voice in a country redefining itself. In 1944, as a second lieutenant in the Royal Army near Lake Como, he narrowly escapes a shooting by a German soldier, only to be saved by Elena Lea Massari Pavinato, the hotel owner’s daughter. Elena kills the German with an iron, and she quietly guides Silvio to safety at her late grandparents’ mill. For three months they live as lovers, a brief oasis of warmth in the midst of war, before Silvio slips away to rejoin the partisan struggle.

Full summary

The whole story of A Difficult Life, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

A Difficult Life Box Office

A Difficult Life grossed $71,630 worldwide.

1961 box office

Worldwide gross

$71.6K

US & Canada
$71.6K
Videos

A Difficult Life Trailers & Videos

The trailer of A Difficult Life.

Una Vita Difficile - 4K Restoration Trailer
Quiz

How Well Do You Know A Difficult Life?

9 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 9

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered

What is the profession of Silvio Magnozzi at the beginning of the film?

Details

A Difficult Life Also Known As

9 alternative titles, including “Une vie difficile” and “A siker ára”.

Also known as
  • Une vie difficile
  • A siker ára
  • Das Leben ist schwer
  • Una vida difícil
  • 艰辛的生活
  • Uma Vida Difícil
  • Těžký život
  • Журналист из Рима
  • Życie nie jest łatwe

Seen A Difficult Life?

FAQ

A Difficult Life FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, post-credit scenes and language of A Difficult Life, each answered in a sentence.

How long is A Difficult Life?

A Difficult Life runs 1 hour 58 minutes (118 minutes).

When was A Difficult Life released?

A Difficult Life was released on December 19, 1961.

Who directed A Difficult Life?

A Difficult Life was directed by Dino Risi.

More films by Dino Risi

Who is in the cast of A Difficult Life?

A Difficult Life stars Alberto Sordi as Silvio Magnozzi, Lea Massari as Elena Pavinato and Franco Fabrizi as Franco Simonini, among 18 credited actors.

How much did A Difficult Life make at the box office?

A Difficult Life grossed $71,630 worldwide.

Does A Difficult Life have a post-credit scene?

No. A Difficult Life has no extra scene during or after the credits.

What language is A Difficult Life in?

The original language of A Difficult Life is Italian.

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