“The mattress is soft and there're hangers in the closet and stationary with “Bates' Motel” printed on it in case you want to make your friends back home envious.”

– Norman Bates

A caregiver*

 

A woman is brutally murdered and taken home by a young man. This man – this angel – takes away her wounds, returns her to life, and nurses her. They fall in love.

 

* the Bales 2025 Film Challenge for December has a few dateless themes. This is one of them.

Sisters, for one of the OPs' sister's birthday.

 

Expelled prostitute Maddalena returns to her home island Vulcano (Salina in disguise) and moves in with her sister Maria. A handsome fisherman becomes first Maria's, then Maddalena's catch.

 

A revenge film à la lettre, but not as you may think. Anna Magnani was cast as the lead for her lover Rossellini's Stromboli (Terra di Dio) (1950), and – after him having set eyes on Ingrid Bergman – was ditched in the latter's favour. While Rossellini fawned over the blonde, Magnani shot “her” film on a neighbouring volcanic island, blowing her former beau's efforts out of the water.

Takes place on the night of November 26-27, 1940.

“Mister Moldovan, this is not for the first time that a criminal case is entrusted to you. It is precisely your political objectivity that made us choose you.”

– Alexandru Dincă

 

“You take away my life and offer me a favor in return. That's what I call a 'bargain'.”

– John Ellman

“I'm trying to run an impersonal business. Killing is very personal. Once it gets started, it's hard to stop.”

– Mr. Brown

“The day they put jerks into orbit, you won't stop rotating soon!”

– Comissaire Joss, le Pacha