Dark Eyes

The plot of Dark Eyes is drawn from four Anton Chekhov stories, but in style and tone it owes as much to Federico Fellini as it does to Russian literature—appropriately, since the script was written specifically for Marcello Mastroianni, Fellini’s frequent star and alter ego. Richard Corliss called this role “a virtual anthology of Marcello males”: the story of an aging man summing up his life and loves is a tailor-made vehicle for the actor’s manifold talents, from boyish exuberance and philandering buffoonery to mature pathos. This elegant and passionate performance won Mastroianni the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival.