| Director | Giuseppe Tornatore |
|---|---|
| Box office | $14.4 million |
On 10 June 1940, in the small Sicilian town of Castelcutò, a teenage boy named Renato experiences three major events: Italy enters World War II; he receives a new bicycle; and he first sees the beautiful and sensual Malèna, who is the most desired young woman in town. Her husband is in the armed forces fighting the British in Africa, and she lives alone. Because of her beauty and reclusiveness, she is an object of lust for all the town's men and of hatred for its women. She tends to her infirm father, but he rejects her after receiving an anonymous note slandering her.
Renato becomes obsessed with Malèna, spying on her in her house and stalking her when she leaves it. To fuel his erotic fantasies, he steals some of her underwear from her clothes line. When his parents find it in his bedroom, they become upset and try to break his fixation.
Malèna receives news that her husband has died in the war, adding grief to her isolation. The rumours around her only intensify after she allows an unmarried air force officer to visit her after dark and the officer has an altercation with the local dentist, who was also attempting to visit Malèna, outside her home. When she is denounced and put on trial for adultery, the officer, who has been sent away, sends testimony from abroad that he was nothing more than a fling. Malèna, though hurt by his betrayal, says nothing to condemn him. After her acquittal, Malèna's lawyer visits and rapes her, claiming that this is her payment for his legal services. He continues to proposition her and she continues to reject him.
Renato resolves to protect Malèna, asking God and his saints to watch over her and performing little acts of vengeance against her detractors. He does not realise that, like the townspeople, he views Malèna as an object; he does not consider how Malèna herself feels.
When the war reaches Sicily, the Allies bomb the town, killing Malèna's father. Now penniless, universally scorned, unable to find work, and refused the sale of food by the townsfolk, Malèna turns to prostitution. Many townsfolk are happy to see her diminished position. When Nazi forces occupy the town, Malèna dyes her hair blonde and becomes a favorite of the German soldiers, increasing the townspeople's resentment of her. When Renato sees Malèna with two German soldiers, he faints. His mother believes it is demonic possession, taking him to a priest for exorcism, but his father takes him to the town brothel. There he fantasises that the prostitute he has sex with is Malèna.
As the war progresses, American troops liberate the town, welcomed by ecstatic cheers. With the German soldiers no longer present to offer Malèna protection, the townswomen storm the hotel and drag Malèna out. The townswomen rip off her clothes, beat her and cut off her hair. Renato and the other townspeople witness this assault but look on and do nothing to help Malèna. To escape further persecution, she flees the hostile town. A few days later, her husband Nino, who has survived as a prisoner of war sans one arm, comes back looking for her. His house has been taken over and converted into a refugee camp and nobody in town will admit to him what happened to Malèna or where to find her. Renato leaves him a signed note saying that despite everything that happened, that Nino was the only man she ever loved, and that she has suffered misfortunes and was last seen taking a train heading in the direction of the city of Messina.
A year later, Nino and Malèna return and are seen strolling through the town. Women notice she now looks more matronly and plain. Even if she is still beautiful, since she is now married and living with her husband, they realize that she is no longer a threat, and begin speaking of her with more respect. When she goes to the market, the women who beat her say good morning, call her madam, and even offer her free goods. Walking home, some fruit falls from her bag and Renato rushes to pick it up. Not knowing that he is the one who wrote the note about her whereabouts to Nino, she says "Thank you for your help." He wishes her good luck and she gives him an enigmatic half-smile, the only time either has ever spoken to or looked openly at the other.
The aged Renato reflects that he has known and loved many women and has forgotten many, but he has never forgotten about Malèna.