The Story of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow is a 1963 Italian comedy-romance that unfolds as three separate but thematically linked stories, all set in different corners of Italy. Director Vittorio De Sica—best known for the neorealist masterpiece The Bicycle Thieves—shifts gears here into something lighter, more playful, yet no less observant about human nature. The film's tagline captures the spirit perfectly: "They're in Love Three Times and Three Ways...In One Movie!" Each segment features the same two leads, Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni, playing different characters caught in romantic entanglements that test their wit, their bodies, and their moral flexibility. What holds it together isn't plot continuity—there is none. It's the chemistry between these two actors and De Sica's keen eye for the absurdity of desire itself.
Behind the Making of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow arrived at a moment when Italian cinema was experiencing a creative renaissance. De Sica's decision to pair Loren and Mastroianni—already legendary on the international stage—with a triptych structure was both ambitious and commercially savvy. The film was produced by Les Films Concordia and C. C. Champion, and its 119-minute runtime allowed De Sica to develop each story with surprising depth. The film's critical and commercial success was immediate. At the 37th Academy Awards, it won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, cementing its place in cinema history. The IMDb rating of 7.4/10 reflects what audiences have long known: this isn't a perfect film, but it's a perfectly entertaining one. Loren and Mastroianni had already worked together on several projects, but this pairing—where they're essentially playing six different characters across three worlds—showcases their range in ways that single-role films couldn't. The chemistry between them feels almost effortless, which is precisely the kind of thing you can't manufacture; you either have it or you don't. De Sica, who'd spent years making audiences weep at neorealist tragedies, proved here that he could make them laugh just as effectively.
What Makes Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow Stand Out
There's something genuinely clever about the film's structure. Rather than three unrelated stories, De Sica uses the repetition of the leads to create a kind of riff on romance itself—how it changes shape depending on circumstance, class, and geography. The first segment casts Loren as Adelina, a working-class woman in Naples reduced to selling illicit cigarettes while her unemployed husband Carmine (Mastroianni) schemes and dreams. What's striking is how the film doesn't condescend to these characters; instead, it finds humor in their resourcefulness and their stubborn refusal to be defeated by poverty. The second and third stories shift tone—moving into territory that's more urbane, more sexually charged—but they maintain that same fundamental interest in how people use charm, cunning, and physicality to navigate their worlds. Loren, in particular, demonstrates a gift for physical comedy that often gets overlooked in discussions of her career. She's not just beautiful; she's funny, and she's willing to look undignified in service of a laugh. Mastroianni, too, brings a kind of world-weary charm to each incarnation, a man perpetually caught between desire and self-preservation. The film doesn't moralize about the women's use of sexuality as a tool—it simply observes it with a knowing smile. That's the De Sica touch: acceptance without judgment.
Where to Stream Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow Online
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow is available on major OTT services, and if you're serious about classic cinema, it's worth seeking out. The film's restoration has made the Technicolor palette—particularly in the second and third segments—absolutely luminous. Check the Where to Watch widget at the top of this page to see exactly which platform carries it in your region right now. Movie OTT tracks current streaming availability across the major services, so you'll know instantly whether it's on Netflix, Prime Video, or another platform. One thing worth noting: the film's age means it occasionally cycles on and off different services, so if you see it available, don't sleep on it. The 119-minute runtime is short enough that you can watch all three stories in one sitting, which is really the ideal way to experience the film's cumulative effect.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Who directed Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow?
Vittorio De Sica directed the film in 1963. De Sica was already a legend of Italian cinema, known for neorealist classics like The Bicycle Thieves, and this comedy-anthology showcased his versatility as a filmmaker.
Q: Did Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow win any major awards?
Yes. The film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 37th Academy Awards, one of the highest honors a non-English-language film can receive.
Q: Are the three stories in Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow connected?
Not by plot. The same two actors—Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni—play different characters in each of the three segments, but the stories themselves are independent tales set in different Italian cities.
Q: What's the runtime of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow?
The film is 119 minutes long, which gives De Sica enough time to develop each of the three stories with real character and comedic depth.
Q: Is Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow based on a true story?
No, it's an original screenplay written specifically for the film. The stories are fictional explorations of romance and desire rather than adaptations of existing works.
Final Thoughts on Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow is the kind of film that reminds you why classic cinema still matters. It's not trying to change the world or break new artistic ground—it's simply a beautifully crafted, genuinely funny exploration of how people fall in and out of love. The performances from Loren and Mastroianni are the real draw, and De Sica's direction keeps everything moving with a light touch and a knowing wink. If you appreciate European cinema, romantic comedies with actual wit, or just want to see two of cinema's greatest stars at the height of their powers, this 1963 gem belongs on your watchlist. It's the kind of film that doesn't demand much of you except that you sit back and enjoy the ride.
