Review:

The Blu-ray release by Kino Lorber contains both De Sica's original 89-minute version and the butchered 72-minute version that was released in the US. De Sica purists should probably stay away from either version. As a fan of his earlier work, I couldn't resist. I was rewarded by a time capsule view of Rome's Stazione Termini and a sufficiently tortured performance by Montgomery Clift. Sadly, Jennifer Jones' acting has not aged well, or maybe it's because her character is even more old-fashioned than Clift's. And her lines: did people really talk that way? It's a melodrama but lordy! The lines are quaint at best, but it's the plot that just doesn't hold up. The lovers' dilemma is quite laughable after almost 70 years. Technically, most of the scenes were shot in the train station in Rome with real people all around so it was not an easy task. If you must see this film, invest the extra 17 minutes and opt for the original version. The 72-minute version cuts out foundational elements of the first 30 minutes, rendering some events in the film (such as the improbable coincidence of her nephew appearing in the station randomly) just utterly confusing. I think the last scene is worth the extra 17 minutes. Along with some poignant scenes and a generous allowance for the era, the conclusion helped the emotional impact score quite a bit.