White Nights

White Nights is a 1957 romantic drama film directed by Luchino Visconti, based on Fyodor Dostoevsky’s 1848 short story of the same name. It was written for the screen by Visconti and Suso Cecchi d'Amico, and stars Maria Schell, Marcello Mastroianni, and Jean Marais. The film received positive reviews from critics and audiences, and won the Silver Lion at the 18th Venice International Film Festival. Plot Late one winter night in downtown Livorno, a young man named Mario, who is new in town, sees a young woman named Natalia crying on a small bridge over a canal. When she sees Mario looking at her, Natalia runs away and almost gets struck by a motorcycle. The motorcyclists hit on Natalia, but Mario shoos them away and attempts to strike up a conversation with her. She does not say much, but listens politely, and then says Mario can walk her home. After agreeing to meet Mario the following night, Natalia returns to the bridge. When Mario spots Natalia the next night, she initially runs away from him, explaining that she did not want him to think she was an easy woman for arranging to meet a strange man. She then explains that she is waiting for someone on the bridge, but invites Mario to keep her company while she waits, and tells her story to him. Both of her parents, separately, ran off, leaving her with her protective, nearly-blind grandmother. When a dashing man rented a room in her grandmother's house, they eventually fell in love, but then he left suddenly, promising to return in one year. The year is up, so, although she hasn't seen or heard from the tenant since he left, Natalia has begun to sneak out at night to wait for him on the bridge. Mario tells Natalia she is being naive, but she says the tenant is back in town, she just does not want to make the first move. When Mario suggests she write the tenant a letter, she hands one to him that she has already written, and he agrees to deliver it. Natalia goes home, and a moody Mario tears up the letter and throws it in the canal.