Una giornata particolare
"A special film about two special people."
A Special Day - Characters & Cast
Character Analysis
Antonietta Taberi
Sophia Loren
Motivation
Initially motivated by duty to her family and a deeply ingrained belief in the fascist state, her primary motivation becomes a search for human connection and understanding as she confronts her deep-seated loneliness.
Character Arc
Antonietta begins the film as a downtrodden, uneducated housewife who has fully internalized the fascist regime's ideology and her subservient role within it. Her encounter with Gabriele challenges her worldview. Through their conversations, she begins to see the cracks in the patriarchal and political system she once revered. By the end of the day, she has undergone a profound internal transformation, moving from a state of "false consciousness" to a nascent awareness of her own oppression and a desire for something more, symbolized by her opening the book Gabriele gave her.
Gabriele
Marcello Mastroianni
Motivation
His motivation shifts from despair and a desire to end his suffering to a need to connect, to be seen as a human being, and to share a moment of solidarity with another lonely soul before he is taken away.
Character Arc
Gabriele starts the day on the verge of suicide, having been fired from his job and facing imminent deportation to Sardinia because he is gay. He is melancholic, intelligent, and deeply wounded by a society that has rejected him. His chance meeting with Antonietta pulls him back from despair. He finds in her an unexpected confidante and a moment of genuine human warmth. While his external fate is sealed, the encounter reaffirms the value of connection and allows him to face his future with a renewed, albeit tragic, sense of dignity.
Emanuele Taberi
John Vernon
Motivation
His motivations are rooted in his adherence to the fascist ideology: demonstrating loyalty to the state, maintaining absolute authority in his home, and upholding the hyper-masculine ideals of the regime.
Character Arc
Emanuele is a static character who represents the brutish, unthinking embodiment of fascist patriarchy. He treats his wife as a domestic servant, shows no affection, and is a fervent supporter of Mussolini. He exists to establish the oppressive domestic environment from which Antonietta seeks escape. He does not change throughout the film, returning from the parade just as arrogant and domineering as when he left.