MovieChat Forums > Divorzio all'italiana (1962) Discussion > 16-year-old cousin?

16-year-old cousin?

posted 3 years ago by Alocirp (689)
4 replies | jump to latest

Thought this was a great little comedy with a wonderful performance by Mastroianni, but surprised to see no posts regarding the fact that 37-year-old Ferdinando's love interest was a 16-year-old girl...who also happened to be his cousin.

I realize it was a different time, so I'm not exactly shocked by the age thing. But even back then, wouldn't it have been a little strange to marry your own cousin?

It just felt a bit awkward watching Ferdinando and Angela's wedding ceremony, as they joyously make their way down the aisle, friends and family enthusiastically cheering and congratulating them as they pass by.

I don't want to take much away from the film, but out of curiosity, would their own family really have been so supportive of the union?

[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

Two seconds of googling told me that "In Southern Italy, cousin marriage was a common practice within regions such as Calabria and Sicily where first cousin marriage in the previous century was close to 50% of all marriages.". Eeeeew!! There are places in the world is common or even expected, and yes, rates of genetic diseases and birth defects are usually horribly high in such places.

As for marrying kids that age, yes, it happened. It's common enough in cultures where women are seen only as breeding material, and not worth educating.

[–] Alocirp (689) 3 years ago

Thanks for looking that up for me. Indeed disturbing to consider it was so commonplace.

Although with that being the case, it does make me wonder why Angela's father was so shocked (to the point of dropping dead) upon discovering the mutual love between the cousins.

[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

Maybe because her older cousin was married, and divorce wasn't legal. What father would want his 16-year-old daughter to become the mistress of a married man, and the mother of his second family?

Because yeah, that's how people did things when divorce was impossible. If they fell in love with someone else they left their spouse and lived with the beloved, or if they were a man who could afford two families... they had two families.

[–] Alocirp (689) 3 years ago

Yeah, good point. Seems like an accurate assessment.