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What's After the Movie?
War drama

Sunflower (1970): Cast & Plot

Sunflower (1970) movie poster

Sunflower is a 1970 war drama directed by Vittorio De Sica, starring Oleg Fyodorov as Young Russian worker (uncredited), Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni. It runs 1 hour 49 minutes.

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Sunflower (1970) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 49m (109 min)
Director
Vittorio De Sica
Genres
War , Drama
Original language
Italian
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Sunflower About?

The premise of Sunflower without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

After World War II a woman clings to the belief that her husband, listed as missing on the Russian front, is still alive. Interwoven flashbacks trace their swift courtship, passionate marriage, and his sudden disappearance. Years later she journeys to Russia carrying only his photograph, intent on uncovering the truth of his fate.

Sunflower Themes & Keywords

· 42 tags
  • russia
  • italy
  • milan italy
  • italian soldier
  • volunteer
  • soviet union
  • veteran
  • survivor
  • husband wife relationship
  • snow
  • cemetery
  • anger
+30 more
  • train station
  • moscow russia
  • italian man
  • photograph
  • soldier
  • russian front
  • flashback
  • eastern front
  • world war two
  • fainting
  • train ride
  • sunflower field
  • march
  • foreigner
  • famous score
  • factory worker
  • bigamy
  • subway
  • station
  • stadium
  • railway
  • omelet
  • fake illness
  • earring
  • slapped in the face
  • travel by train
  • loren and mastroianni
  • woman
  • sunflower
  • mannequin
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Cast & crew

Sunflower Cast & Characters

Oleg Fyodorov leads the cast as Young Russian worker (uncredited), with Sophia Loren as Giovanna and Marcello Mastroianni as Antonio. Directed by Vittorio De Sica; 20 actors are credited in all.

From the director

More from Vittorio De Sica

More films directed by Vittorio De Sica, best-rated first: Miracle in Milan, Umberto D (re-release), The Voyage and A Brief Vacation.

Full filmography
Plot

Sunflower Plot Summary

What happens in Sunflower from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

“A woman born for love. A man born to love her. A timeless moment in a world gone mad.”

Giovanna Sophia Loren and Antonio Marcello Mastroianni marry to delay Antonio’s deployment during World War II. In those early days, they share a spark of happiness that lasts twelve days—a brief, radiant pause before the war reshapes their lives. They even hatch a bold scheme where Antonio pretends to be a crazy man, a desperate ruse born of love and fear, a sign of how far they will go to stay together. Yet the conflict tears them apart as Antonio is sent to the Russian Front, leaving Giovanna to cling to memory and hope.

Full summary

The whole story of Sunflower, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Videos

Sunflower Trailers & Videos

The trailer of Sunflower.

Sunflower 1970 Trailer
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Sunflower?

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

Question 1 of 10

  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
  10. Question 10: not answered

Which actress portrays Giovanna in the film?

Details

Sunflower Also Known As

25 alternative titles, including “The Sunflower” and “Os Girassóis da Rússia”.

Also known as
  • The Sunflower
  • Os Girassóis da Rússia
  • Los girasoles de Rusia
  • ひまわり
  • 해바라기
  • Les fleurs du soleil
  • Slunečnice
  • 真爱不流泪
  • 向日葵
  • Sonnenblumen
  • Подсолнухи
  • 第二个月亮
+13 more
  • Los girasoles
  • Napraforgó
  • Слънчогледи
  • Os Girassoís da Rússia
  • Соняшники
  • Slnečnica
  • گل آفتابگردان, მზესუმზირა
  • Els gira-sols
  • Auringonkukkia
  • Słoneczniki
  • שדה החמניות
  • Florile-soarelui
  • 第二個月亮

Seen Sunflower?

FAQ

Sunflower FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast, post-credit scenes and language of Sunflower, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Sunflower?

Sunflower runs 1 hour 49 minutes (109 minutes).

When was Sunflower released?

Sunflower was released on March 14, 1970.

Who directed Sunflower?

Sunflower was directed by Vittorio De Sica.

More films by Vittorio De Sica

Who is in the cast of Sunflower?

Sunflower stars Oleg Fyodorov as Young Russian worker (uncredited), Sophia Loren as Giovanna and Marcello Mastroianni as Antonio, among 20 credited actors.

Does Sunflower have a post-credit scene?

No. Sunflower has no extra scene during or after the credits.

What language is Sunflower in?

The original language of Sunflower is Italian.

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