Set in the ficticious Uruguayan town of San José de los Altares in the 1930s, this film tells the story of Leonor (Luisina Brando), an independent and determined widow, and her precocious daughter Charlotte (Alejandra Podesta) whose exceptionally short stature remains unnamed. Fiercely protective of her daughter, Leonor does everything in her power to ensure that Charlotte leads a normal and happy life: she destroys garden gnomes and children’s books and offers her daughter every opportunity to learn languages and to play the piano. Soon Charlotte begins to receive the affections of Ludovico D’Andrea (Marcello Mastroianni), a mysterious and charismatic Italian bachelor who satisfies Charlotte’s curiosity with fantastic tales of his travels and adventures around the world. After their idyllic wedding, everything seems to be moving toward a happy ending when, one day, the circus comes to town, forever changing the lives of the main characters.

Vera R. Coleman

Arizona State University