I've always been in love with Italy. In my opinion it may be the prettiest European country I know (I'm European myself and I've seen most of the other countries, so I know what I'm talking about). I like its buildings, its landscapes, its history, its people and its culture. So when being able to see an Italian movie, or should I call it a mini-series, that deals with all these aspects of Italian life, I knew I had to watch it.<br /><br />I could keep this review very short really, because all I want to say is: watch it for yourself! I'll do my best to describe it, but in my opinion there isn't a better way to understand how good this actually is, as by sitting through the more than 6 hours and enjoying every minute of it. From the fifties on until today, we follow everything that happens in Italy: communism, anarchy, the Maffia, natural disasters, an economic boom, but also banal things like for instance soccer (in fact everything that has any importance in the history of Italy and the minds of the Italians) is shown in this movie. You'll see everything evolve through the decades and follow it all through the eyes of the Carati's, a family that isn't spared of any fortune or bad luck...<br /><br />This movie may seem incredibly long to most of you and I'm sure that many people will never watch it, just because of the length. But those people are really wrong. If you take the time to watch it, than you'll not only get to see something of Italy's history, but you'll also get to know the cities, the landscapes, the people. Everything that makes Italy what it is today.<br /><br />Perhaps it is because I'm so interested in Italy and everything that ever happened there, perhaps it is because I'm a great admirer of the European cinema. I don't know, but what I do know is that I loved this movie and that I recommend it to everybody who wants to hear it. I give it a 9/10. This is an excellent drama that shouldn't be missed by any.