Mamma Roma
A neorealist tragedy of maternal devotion, this raw, poetic drama paints a haunting portrait of a mother's desperate, unwinnable war against fate on the scarred outskirts of Rome.
Mamma Roma
Mamma Roma
22 September 1962 Italy 110 min ⭐ 7.9 (422)
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini
Cast: Anna Magnani, Ettore Garofolo, Franco Citti, Silvana Corsini, Luisa Loiano
Drama
The Impossibility of Social Mobility The Sacred and the Profane Maternal Love and Sacrifice Past vs. Present

Mamma Roma - Movie Quotes

Memorable Quotes

Io c'ho avuto un solo amore in vita mia, e quello sei te!

— Mamma Roma

Context:

This is said to Ettore during one of their more intimate and emotional moments, as Mamma Roma tries to break through his apathy and make him understand the depth of her sacrifice and devotion.

Meaning:

Translation: "I've only had one love in my life, and that's you!" This line encapsulates the core of Mamma Roma's being. It reveals that all her struggles, her past, and her hopes for the future are centered entirely on her obsessive love for her son, making the film's tragic outcome even more devastating.

Il male che fai è come 'na strada che poi l'innocenti ce devono camminà sopra.

— Mamma Roma

Context:

Mamma Roma says this during one of her nocturnal walks, soliloquizing about her life and the cruel fate that seems to bind both her and her son.

Meaning:

Translation: "The evil you do is like a highway the innocent have to walk down." This quote reflects the film's theme of fate and the inescapable consequences of the past. Mamma Roma understands that her own history has created a difficult path for her son, one that he is forced to travel regardless of his own choices. It is a moment of profound, fatalistic insight.