The one thing I remembered about "Bocaccio70" was Romy Schnaider getting dressed in front of a mirror, in front of us. The film in his 4 segments has much more, but nothing better than Romy Schnaider in the Visconti segment. She is exquisite of course but in Visconti's hands she is superlative. Visconti, like George Cukor, knew how to guide actresses to their best. In the Monicelli episode Renzo and Lucia search for their privacy and Monicelli, a remarkable director, today 92 and still at work, manages to give the most straight forward, no frills segment. Fellini goes overboard with a 50 feet tall Anita Eckberg and a rather clumsy indictment at middle class morality. The De Sica episode has Sophia Loren, virgin and whore. When Sophia Loren was in De Sica's hands she was at her best. Her sympathy here takes over the episode and it becomes a joyful tale of nonsensical innocence. But, just as I remembered Romy Schnaider and Visconti are responsible for making this lightweight oddity really worth while.
30 Reviews
Modern Eros
valadas13 July 2012
Boccacio was a 14th century Italian poet, storyteller and humanist who among other works wrote "Decameron", a collection of licentious stories which is very much appreciated even nowadays. In 1962 four great Italian film directors (Monicelli, Fellini, Visconti and de Sica) made this movie in four episodes (each one by one of them) inspired on the same theme of Bocaccio's work i.e. erotic love in our times under several of its forms: marital, repressed, adulterous and paid for. It combines Monicelli's humour with Fellini's symbolism, Visconti's psychological realism and de Sica's social and moral satire. In my opinion the best episode is de Sica's one, the story of a beautiful woman (Sophia Loren) who runs a shooting sideshow in a funfair. The less good is perhaps Visconti's one story of a rich couple whose wife revenges herself of her husband's infidelity in a curious and elegant way because of somewhat dull dialogues which is however compensated by the gorgeous interior sceneries of the palace where his episode takes place like he has already made us familiar with in some of his other movies. All the episodes combine humour, sensuality and light drama in balanced doses and will undoubtedly please the viewers.
Boccaccio '70
lasttimeisaw6 December 2012
A quartet mini-features from the 4 most prestigious Italian directors must be a rare treat for aficionados, but since shorts sometimes has been designed to experiment maestro's more daring or outlandish innovation, so a 1+1<2 formula is well acceptable for the viewers at least.
Act 1, Monicelli's amiable modern tale of a pair of young newlyweds working in the same factory while conceiving their nuptial facts since it breaches the unfeeling regulation. Monicelli's devotion and affection to the general mass is ubiquitous, the camera follows intimately to record the lovebirds' daily work, diversion and quagmire, and the bittersweet ending is unerringly sanguine which should be the bloodline runs inside the Italian lineage.
Act 2, Fellini's ever-first colour endeavour, surrealistic, sumptuous and luscious fantasy of a moral watchdog's eventual relinquishment towards a sexy bomb (an enormous 50 feet-tall Anita Ekberg), a female-exploitation gag which is constantly overplayed (not inclusively) in Fellini's canon. But visually, Fellini's manoeuvre of projecting different proportioned characters (creates two identical settings with different sizes) is quite nimble without exposing any shoddy clues (except the forged beasts, which is a buzzkill).
Act3, Visconti's pleonastic noble Count whose brothel scandal evokes a major crisis with his wealthy but vindictive wife, a higher-tier pastiche ends up with a sloppy reference of a disparaging stinking rich's gauche prostitute fetish. At any rate Romy Schneider is the best thing in it, pairs with a well-suited Tomas Milian, presents a paragon of bourgeois vulnerability and emptiness.
Act 4, another "prostitute" farce in a rural background, De Sica seduces the world with Sophia Loren's vulgar and crude beauty, a sultry whore will spend one night with the man who guess right of the lottery number, but it turns out to be a mental masturbation joke, quite tedious and a bit offensive.
Apparently this is another patchy miscellany doesn't live up to the test of the time, Monicelli's neo-realistic part (which suspiciously is taken out completely in the original US release) is the standout and quite a pity it didn't make up to a feature-length piece of work which producer Carlo Ponti had promised then.
Act 1, Monicelli's amiable modern tale of a pair of young newlyweds working in the same factory while conceiving their nuptial facts since it breaches the unfeeling regulation. Monicelli's devotion and affection to the general mass is ubiquitous, the camera follows intimately to record the lovebirds' daily work, diversion and quagmire, and the bittersweet ending is unerringly sanguine which should be the bloodline runs inside the Italian lineage.
Act 2, Fellini's ever-first colour endeavour, surrealistic, sumptuous and luscious fantasy of a moral watchdog's eventual relinquishment towards a sexy bomb (an enormous 50 feet-tall Anita Ekberg), a female-exploitation gag which is constantly overplayed (not inclusively) in Fellini's canon. But visually, Fellini's manoeuvre of projecting different proportioned characters (creates two identical settings with different sizes) is quite nimble without exposing any shoddy clues (except the forged beasts, which is a buzzkill).
Act3, Visconti's pleonastic noble Count whose brothel scandal evokes a major crisis with his wealthy but vindictive wife, a higher-tier pastiche ends up with a sloppy reference of a disparaging stinking rich's gauche prostitute fetish. At any rate Romy Schneider is the best thing in it, pairs with a well-suited Tomas Milian, presents a paragon of bourgeois vulnerability and emptiness.
Act 4, another "prostitute" farce in a rural background, De Sica seduces the world with Sophia Loren's vulgar and crude beauty, a sultry whore will spend one night with the man who guess right of the lottery number, but it turns out to be a mental masturbation joke, quite tedious and a bit offensive.
Apparently this is another patchy miscellany doesn't live up to the test of the time, Monicelli's neo-realistic part (which suspiciously is taken out completely in the original US release) is the standout and quite a pity it didn't make up to a feature-length piece of work which producer Carlo Ponti had promised then.
Uneven, but very interesting and visually stunning
TheLittleSongbird2 August 2012
Warning: Spoilers
My main attraction to Boccaccio 70 was that one of the four segments was directed by Federico Fellini(the others being Mario Monicelli, Luchino Visconti and Vittorio De Sica), whose work I have always admired. Getting the remastered version, I was expecting good, even great things, though I was prepared for some elements not being as good as others. And I found Boccaccio 70 to be interesting indeed. Sure it is uneven, but I could clearly see that a lot of work went into all the segments.
Monicelli's Renzo E Luciana was intriguing. The love story is simple and very cute, and it is all delicately funny and charming with a touch of endearing sweetness. The two leads acquit themselves very well, Marisa Solinas is simply gorgeous, while it is beautifully filmed also. The story itself is rather slight though, with a couple of scenes that feel a little too long and not as tight in pace. It doesn't feel really all that rounded off either. However it is charming and cute and I'd definitely see it again.
Fellini's Le Tentazioni del Dottor Antonio is my personal favourite of the four segments. It has Fellini's style all over it, it does feel personal and nostalgic, and he directs superbly. The pace is slowly deliberate but never feels dull. The settings and photography are stunning. I also loved it for how funny and surreal it was, the Milk song is very catchy stuff indeed, the various characters have certain quirks and charms that do make them likable in alternative to detached and Anita Ekberg is a sheer delight by her body alone. The music is bright and cheerful also.
Visconti's Il Lavoro is perhaps my least favourite. That is not to say it isn't good, it definitely is, however I did find the pace sluggish and some of the dialogue dull and too talky. However, it is very touching on the whole and emotionally is the most complex of the four segments. It looks beautiful too, with skillful photography(love the close-up(s) of Schneider's eyes) and striking settings. The music is sensitively composed and orchestrated and doesn't feel overbearing in any way. What really elevates Il Lavoro though is the performance of Romy Schneider, sexy and very expressive, I identified with her completely, even if it was not quite the same with the rest of the cast.
De Sica's Il Riffa is second best to Fellini's segment. As with the other three segments, it is beautifully shot and scored, De Sica directs with a firm yet involved hand, and of the four it is the most exciting. It is most memorable though for the performance of Sophia Loren. This is not just for Loren's sexiness, and she is very alluring here, but the fact that she plays a very strong-willed woman while managing to evoke some poignancy. I was also genuinely moved by the final encounter between her and the sacristan, who is just as endearingly performed.
Overall, visually stunning with great lead performances(especially Loren), four great Italian directors doing solid to outstanding jobs on each segment and with generally interesting characters and stories. It is uneven, with Visconti's having many things to admire but somewhat wanting and Fellini's outstanding and possibly some of his best work, but none of them are unwatchable or anything. Well worth a watch. 7/10 Bethany Cox
Monicelli's Renzo E Luciana was intriguing. The love story is simple and very cute, and it is all delicately funny and charming with a touch of endearing sweetness. The two leads acquit themselves very well, Marisa Solinas is simply gorgeous, while it is beautifully filmed also. The story itself is rather slight though, with a couple of scenes that feel a little too long and not as tight in pace. It doesn't feel really all that rounded off either. However it is charming and cute and I'd definitely see it again.
Fellini's Le Tentazioni del Dottor Antonio is my personal favourite of the four segments. It has Fellini's style all over it, it does feel personal and nostalgic, and he directs superbly. The pace is slowly deliberate but never feels dull. The settings and photography are stunning. I also loved it for how funny and surreal it was, the Milk song is very catchy stuff indeed, the various characters have certain quirks and charms that do make them likable in alternative to detached and Anita Ekberg is a sheer delight by her body alone. The music is bright and cheerful also.
Visconti's Il Lavoro is perhaps my least favourite. That is not to say it isn't good, it definitely is, however I did find the pace sluggish and some of the dialogue dull and too talky. However, it is very touching on the whole and emotionally is the most complex of the four segments. It looks beautiful too, with skillful photography(love the close-up(s) of Schneider's eyes) and striking settings. The music is sensitively composed and orchestrated and doesn't feel overbearing in any way. What really elevates Il Lavoro though is the performance of Romy Schneider, sexy and very expressive, I identified with her completely, even if it was not quite the same with the rest of the cast.
De Sica's Il Riffa is second best to Fellini's segment. As with the other three segments, it is beautifully shot and scored, De Sica directs with a firm yet involved hand, and of the four it is the most exciting. It is most memorable though for the performance of Sophia Loren. This is not just for Loren's sexiness, and she is very alluring here, but the fact that she plays a very strong-willed woman while managing to evoke some poignancy. I was also genuinely moved by the final encounter between her and the sacristan, who is just as endearingly performed.
Overall, visually stunning with great lead performances(especially Loren), four great Italian directors doing solid to outstanding jobs on each segment and with generally interesting characters and stories. It is uneven, with Visconti's having many things to admire but somewhat wanting and Fellini's outstanding and possibly some of his best work, but none of them are unwatchable or anything. Well worth a watch. 7/10 Bethany Cox
Enjoyable trio of comedy/dramas with famous femme fatales
eeq2 January 2000
I remember seeing this as a teenager when it was in the movies. An entertaining trio with a sexual theme but no nudity in the 60's. The best was 'The Censor' with a hyper-voluptuous Anita Ekberg as a 100 foot long billboard ad (for milk) that comes to life to torment the local censor -- absolutely hilarious. Then the magnificent Sophia Loren in "The Lottery" where the winner of the drawing wins her for the night. Last is with the late Romy Schneider in a bittersweet tale about a philandering husband who uses their wealth on prostitutes. At least that's what I remember after well over 30 years. If anyone knows where I can rent this again, please let me know.
Seen on Pittsburgh's Chiller Theater only in 1969
kevinolzak26 April 2020
1962's "Boccaccio 70" arrived during a period when anthologies were making a comeback (Roger Corman's "Tales of Terror" from Hollywood), four different directors doing one segment apiece, inspired by 14th-century Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio but updated to the present. Mario Monicelli's opener, "Renzo e Luciana" was never included in export versions for two logical reasons, first that at 3 hours-plus the picture was already quite lengthy, and second that the director failed to secure a name star for box office clout. Easily the most dialogue heavy and least humorous of the quartet, a newlywed couple forced to live with the bride's huge family while trying to earn enough wages to move into a place of their own. Their slave driving employer complicates things due to his skirt chasing insistence on single girls only, the poor groom pretending not to know his bride whenever the boss is present (she does enjoy a good vampire movie at the crowded cinema!). Considerably more fun is "Le Tentazioni del Dottore Antonio" (The Temptation of Doctor Antonio), the first color production for Federico Fellini, Peppino de Filippo as a middle aged morality watchdog with a hypocritical fascination for the female form, exemplified in a huge advertising poster of Anita Ekberg, holding a glass of milk below her already ample bosom (an Ekberg billboard for "Call Me Bwana" is prominently displayed in the James Bond thriller "From Russia with Love," both from producer Albert R. Broccoli). Even better for science fiction buffs, Anita actually comes alive as a 50 foot woman engaged in taunting/seducing the dazed doctor. At one critical moment he reaches down inside her cleavage, perhaps the inspiration for Bert I. Gordon's promotion for 1965's "Village of the Giants," after which she recovers his tiny umbrella from between her breasts! Next is Luchino Visconti's "Il Lavoro" (The Job), never leaving the luxury apartment of Count Ottavio (Tomas Millian) and his lovely Countess Pupe (Romy Schneider), discussing the pros and cons of his scandalous unions with high class call girls, Pupe's father holding the purse strings and betting his daughter's considerable allowance that she won't be able to find suitable employment without any experience. This one tends to drag after a time, so leave it to Vittorio De Sica to bring up the rear with "La Riffa" (The Raffle), scintillating Sophia Loren sashaying provocatively across the screen as a shooting gallery proprietress who offers her favors for one night to the lucky recipient of a winning ticket so as to pay back taxes that could lose her the booth. Once the winner is revealed he receives a plethora of financial offers for his ticket but yields to his mother's insistence that he not give in. The four stories are a study in sacrifice, some amusing or at least rewarding, the missing segment fully restored for a complete viewing experience.
Light-hearted Italian sex comedy anthology
Leofwine_draca22 April 2017
Warning: Spoilers
BOCCACCIO '70 is an Italian anthology film based on medieval writings by the author Boccaccio, updated to the Swinging Sixties. The three stories are totally different but each looks at love, romance, and mild eroticism in different ways, and all of them feature glamorous Italian leading ladies.
The first tale is a whimsical piece about a moral crusader who is outraged by an advertising billboard featuring the buxom Anita Ekberg. What follows is a piece of fantasy with lots of satire and character humour added to the mix. It's fun and light. The follow up is about an aristocrat's predilection for prostitutes and the action his wife takes to right things. I found it a little dull by comparison, although it's nice to see Tomas Milian in an early role; previously I've only known him for his work in Italian crime cinema. The final story is the best, featuring the glorious Sophia Loren as a fairground worker who hates men but nonetheless sells herself in a lottery in order to raise funds. She gives a towering performance in this and is a real delight.
The first tale is a whimsical piece about a moral crusader who is outraged by an advertising billboard featuring the buxom Anita Ekberg. What follows is a piece of fantasy with lots of satire and character humour added to the mix. It's fun and light. The follow up is about an aristocrat's predilection for prostitutes and the action his wife takes to right things. I found it a little dull by comparison, although it's nice to see Tomas Milian in an early role; previously I've only known him for his work in Italian crime cinema. The final story is the best, featuring the glorious Sophia Loren as a fairground worker who hates men but nonetheless sells herself in a lottery in order to raise funds. She gives a towering performance in this and is a real delight.
Strong women according to Boccacio
jotix10012 October 2006
Warning: Spoilers
The idea behind "Boccacio '70" was to update some of the stories in Boccacio's Decameron into short segments directed by some of the top Italian directors, showcasing four actresses at the center of each story. The end result was not as interesting as the concept behind the idea. Thus, the resulting stories are not what could have been expected of directors like Federico Fellini, Vittorio DeSica, Luchino Visconti and Mario Monicelli.
The first story "Luciana e Renzo" is directed by Mario Monicelli. Some of the contributors to the screen play included Italo Calvino, one of Italy's best writers. The story is simple. Luciana, a young woman working in the accounting department of a large firm, is going to get married to Renzo, who also happens to work for the company. The only problem is no marriage between employees is allowed.
The film follows them as they use their lunch time to go to a remote church and get married. The newlyweds must share her parent's small apartment. The head of the department, who obviously likes the lovely Luciana, decides to hit on her when he sees her at a public swimming pool. Things go from bad to worse until the boss finds Luciana embracing Renzo. An idea comes to Luciana's mind: If they both get fired, the separation bonus will let them put a down payment for an apartment of their own.
Beautiful Marisa Solinas is Luciana and Germano Gilioli plays Renzo.
The next story, "Le tentazioni del dottor Antonio" was conceived by Federico Fellini, who also wrote the screen play with Tullio Pinelli, a frequent collaborator, and others. The story is about Antonio a prudish man who is shocked when an enormous advertising ad is erected in a space facing his apartment. In it, a blown up figure of the actress Anita Ekberg is shown in a suggestive pose holding a glass of milk.
No matter what Dr. Antonio does, he is unable to get a friendly ear to help his cause. He becomes so obsessed that one day the gigantic figure in the billboard comes to haunt him. Anita Ekberg, towers over him and teases him mercilessly. What to do? In spite of his protestations Dr. Antonio, who perhaps has not seen a woman this close in his life, is rendered impotent to do anything against a goddess like Anita Ekberg.
The great Peppino DiFilippo appears as Dr. Antonio and the real Anita Ekberg, who made a splash in Fellini's "La Dolce Vita" (no pun intended), have some fine moments in the movie.
The third story "Il Lavoro", directed by Luchino Visconti, presents us with Conte Ottavio, an impoverished nobleman married to the rich Pupe, the daughter of an extremely rich man. Ottavio, who has been surprised by paparazzi with a high class prostitute, has been shown in all of the tabloids in compromising positions. Pupe, who at the start of the film seems to be missing, appears in her own room. She obviously loves the lecherous husband and has made up her mind to begin earning her own living in a regular job. Ottavio, who pleads with her not to do it, realizes his financial dependence on Pupe will suffer. Pupe demands the same kind of payment he made to the call girl. At the end, we see as Ottavio is writing a check as he comes over to Pupe.
The fabulous Romy Schneider was excellent as Pupe and Tomas Millian makes a great appearance.
The last story, "La riffa", directed by Vittorio DeSica and written by Cesare Zavattini, takes us to a small town where Zoe, a beautiful woman who has a shooting gallery in a carnival must make ends meet. Her sister, who is having a baby, needs money that she doesn't have, so she ideates a raffle in which she will be the prize. Needless to say, all the men in town buy all the chances. The meek sacristan is the winner, but when he comes to claim his prize, Gaetano, who is secretly in love with Zoe, will not let the sacristan get the lovely Zoe.
Sophia Loren is marvelous as the tart-tongued Zoe. She had worked with Mr. DeSica before and she gives a wonderful reading. Luigi Giuliani is Gaetano and Alfio Vita plays the sacristan.
"Boccacio '70", the film, and the writer Boccacio showed they were ahead of its times in presenting strong women taking charge of their destinies.
The first story "Luciana e Renzo" is directed by Mario Monicelli. Some of the contributors to the screen play included Italo Calvino, one of Italy's best writers. The story is simple. Luciana, a young woman working in the accounting department of a large firm, is going to get married to Renzo, who also happens to work for the company. The only problem is no marriage between employees is allowed.
The film follows them as they use their lunch time to go to a remote church and get married. The newlyweds must share her parent's small apartment. The head of the department, who obviously likes the lovely Luciana, decides to hit on her when he sees her at a public swimming pool. Things go from bad to worse until the boss finds Luciana embracing Renzo. An idea comes to Luciana's mind: If they both get fired, the separation bonus will let them put a down payment for an apartment of their own.
Beautiful Marisa Solinas is Luciana and Germano Gilioli plays Renzo.
The next story, "Le tentazioni del dottor Antonio" was conceived by Federico Fellini, who also wrote the screen play with Tullio Pinelli, a frequent collaborator, and others. The story is about Antonio a prudish man who is shocked when an enormous advertising ad is erected in a space facing his apartment. In it, a blown up figure of the actress Anita Ekberg is shown in a suggestive pose holding a glass of milk.
No matter what Dr. Antonio does, he is unable to get a friendly ear to help his cause. He becomes so obsessed that one day the gigantic figure in the billboard comes to haunt him. Anita Ekberg, towers over him and teases him mercilessly. What to do? In spite of his protestations Dr. Antonio, who perhaps has not seen a woman this close in his life, is rendered impotent to do anything against a goddess like Anita Ekberg.
The great Peppino DiFilippo appears as Dr. Antonio and the real Anita Ekberg, who made a splash in Fellini's "La Dolce Vita" (no pun intended), have some fine moments in the movie.
The third story "Il Lavoro", directed by Luchino Visconti, presents us with Conte Ottavio, an impoverished nobleman married to the rich Pupe, the daughter of an extremely rich man. Ottavio, who has been surprised by paparazzi with a high class prostitute, has been shown in all of the tabloids in compromising positions. Pupe, who at the start of the film seems to be missing, appears in her own room. She obviously loves the lecherous husband and has made up her mind to begin earning her own living in a regular job. Ottavio, who pleads with her not to do it, realizes his financial dependence on Pupe will suffer. Pupe demands the same kind of payment he made to the call girl. At the end, we see as Ottavio is writing a check as he comes over to Pupe.
The fabulous Romy Schneider was excellent as Pupe and Tomas Millian makes a great appearance.
The last story, "La riffa", directed by Vittorio DeSica and written by Cesare Zavattini, takes us to a small town where Zoe, a beautiful woman who has a shooting gallery in a carnival must make ends meet. Her sister, who is having a baby, needs money that she doesn't have, so she ideates a raffle in which she will be the prize. Needless to say, all the men in town buy all the chances. The meek sacristan is the winner, but when he comes to claim his prize, Gaetano, who is secretly in love with Zoe, will not let the sacristan get the lovely Zoe.
Sophia Loren is marvelous as the tart-tongued Zoe. She had worked with Mr. DeSica before and she gives a wonderful reading. Luigi Giuliani is Gaetano and Alfio Vita plays the sacristan.
"Boccacio '70", the film, and the writer Boccacio showed they were ahead of its times in presenting strong women taking charge of their destinies.
Visconti outclasses three of his peers
JuguAbraham7 April 2020
The Visconti segment out-classes the De Sica, the Fellini and the Monicelli segments. The common factors of all the four segments are sex and money, sprinkled with humour. But Visconti shows his ability to infuse class and certain maturity.
The Visconti segment shows the Tomas Milian and Romy Schneider characters reading two wonderful books that seem to be out of place but are in some ways connected to the segment and Visconti's future projects/ideas: Lampedusa's "The leopard" and Robbe-Grillet's "Les Gommes" (The Erasers). By itself, the Visconti segment, based on Guy du Maupassant's short story "Au bord du lit" (At the Edge of the Bed). deserves a 8/10.
The Visconti segment shows the Tomas Milian and Romy Schneider characters reading two wonderful books that seem to be out of place but are in some ways connected to the segment and Visconti's future projects/ideas: Lampedusa's "The leopard" and Robbe-Grillet's "Les Gommes" (The Erasers). By itself, the Visconti segment, based on Guy du Maupassant's short story "Au bord du lit" (At the Edge of the Bed). deserves a 8/10.
Good all the way through
zetes26 June 2011
Warning: Spoilers
An Italian portmanteau film supposedly inspired by Boccaccio's Decameron (though I don't see a connection, honestly). The film was released in a truncated version in most places, with Monicelli's opening segment cut. The other three directors protested by refusing to promote the film when it debuted at Cannes.
Titled "Renzo e Luciana," it's probably my second favorite of the four films. It's just a very simple love story, a slice-of-life sort of thing. It may be a tad slight, but it's sweet and utterly charming. Marisa Solinas and Germano Gilioli play a young couple. As the film opens, they're secretly getting married, as Solinas' job as a secretary demands that she be single (probably so her boss can hit on her constantly). Gilioli moves in with Solinas and her family in a crowded little apartment. There is no privacy there. And it's nearly impossible to find it anywhere else, either. The short doesn't really have an ending, but it's so enjoyable it doesn't matter. Solinas is an incredibly beautiful woman (the women of Boccaccio '70 are definitely the major selling point).
Fellini's "Le tentazioni del dottor Antonio" is the highlight of the film. Peppino De Filippo stars as Dr. Antonio Mazzuolo, an upstanding citizen who wishes to protect Rome from temptations of the flesh. This proves especially difficult when a gigantic billboard of a scandalously dressed Anita Ekberg, with bare legs and heaving bosoms, declaring loudly "DRINK MORE MILK!" is erected outside of his apartment building one day. It attracts people from all over the city to visit and ogle and create an Ace in the Hole-like carnival right in front of it (not blocking Dr. Antonio's view, of course). After much protestation, though, the good doctor succeeds in getting the billboard's salacious elements covered. This has consequences, however, as Ekberg exits the billboard, giant-sized, to torment the man. This one is nearly as good as the other famous Fellini portmanteau segment, "Toby Dammit" from Spirits of the Dead.
Luchino Visconti directs the third segment, "Il lavoro," another more simple, slice-of-life film where a count, Tomas Milian, having been accused in the newspaper of visiting prostitutes, is tormented by his wife, Romy Schneider. It all takes place within a few rooms in their mansion, as Schneider threatens to leave Milian (and leave him poor, as the money comes from her father) and get a real job. She also insists that he pay her a prostitute's fee for all the sex she's given him for free during their marriage. This was probably my least favorite segment, but I still liked it a lot. It may be the most emotionally complex of the four.
Vittorio De Sica presides over the final segment, "La riffa." This one features the memorable image of Sophia Loren, at the height of her beauty, in a luminous red dress (and, when she takes it off a couple of times, a black bra). She runs a carnival booth, and all the men of the town are obsessed with her, frequently bothering her with their provincial horniness. She's entered in a lottery where she will go out on a date with whoever wins. Her admirers all lose the drawing to the meek, dorky sacristan of the local church and they desperately try to bribe him for the ticket. Meanwhile, the whole deal upsets the young man whom she's been seeing in her free time, and he attempts to sabotage their supposed sexual encounter. I've never been a fan of Loren, mostly because I felt she was almost too beautiful (that's definitely the reason that she bothers me so much in De Sica's Two Women), but she's wonderful here. I also really loved the performance of the sacristan (I don't see the actor's name listed on IMDb), an innocent little man who could never imagine getting within a hundred yards of a woman like Loren. His final encounter with her is genuinely touching.
The four segments together run nearly three and a half hours, but, since they have nothing to do with each other, it's easy to watch one at a time. Portmanteau films can often vary a lot in quality, and most (even this one) are forgotten pretty quickly. This one is definitely a must-see for fans of Italian cinema, or any of the individual directors. The print by NoShame is gorgeous. Unfortunately, it is out of print, but Kino is re-releasing it (apparently on Blu-Ray, too, which should look even more outstanding) in September.
Titled "Renzo e Luciana," it's probably my second favorite of the four films. It's just a very simple love story, a slice-of-life sort of thing. It may be a tad slight, but it's sweet and utterly charming. Marisa Solinas and Germano Gilioli play a young couple. As the film opens, they're secretly getting married, as Solinas' job as a secretary demands that she be single (probably so her boss can hit on her constantly). Gilioli moves in with Solinas and her family in a crowded little apartment. There is no privacy there. And it's nearly impossible to find it anywhere else, either. The short doesn't really have an ending, but it's so enjoyable it doesn't matter. Solinas is an incredibly beautiful woman (the women of Boccaccio '70 are definitely the major selling point).
Fellini's "Le tentazioni del dottor Antonio" is the highlight of the film. Peppino De Filippo stars as Dr. Antonio Mazzuolo, an upstanding citizen who wishes to protect Rome from temptations of the flesh. This proves especially difficult when a gigantic billboard of a scandalously dressed Anita Ekberg, with bare legs and heaving bosoms, declaring loudly "DRINK MORE MILK!" is erected outside of his apartment building one day. It attracts people from all over the city to visit and ogle and create an Ace in the Hole-like carnival right in front of it (not blocking Dr. Antonio's view, of course). After much protestation, though, the good doctor succeeds in getting the billboard's salacious elements covered. This has consequences, however, as Ekberg exits the billboard, giant-sized, to torment the man. This one is nearly as good as the other famous Fellini portmanteau segment, "Toby Dammit" from Spirits of the Dead.
Luchino Visconti directs the third segment, "Il lavoro," another more simple, slice-of-life film where a count, Tomas Milian, having been accused in the newspaper of visiting prostitutes, is tormented by his wife, Romy Schneider. It all takes place within a few rooms in their mansion, as Schneider threatens to leave Milian (and leave him poor, as the money comes from her father) and get a real job. She also insists that he pay her a prostitute's fee for all the sex she's given him for free during their marriage. This was probably my least favorite segment, but I still liked it a lot. It may be the most emotionally complex of the four.
Vittorio De Sica presides over the final segment, "La riffa." This one features the memorable image of Sophia Loren, at the height of her beauty, in a luminous red dress (and, when she takes it off a couple of times, a black bra). She runs a carnival booth, and all the men of the town are obsessed with her, frequently bothering her with their provincial horniness. She's entered in a lottery where she will go out on a date with whoever wins. Her admirers all lose the drawing to the meek, dorky sacristan of the local church and they desperately try to bribe him for the ticket. Meanwhile, the whole deal upsets the young man whom she's been seeing in her free time, and he attempts to sabotage their supposed sexual encounter. I've never been a fan of Loren, mostly because I felt she was almost too beautiful (that's definitely the reason that she bothers me so much in De Sica's Two Women), but she's wonderful here. I also really loved the performance of the sacristan (I don't see the actor's name listed on IMDb), an innocent little man who could never imagine getting within a hundred yards of a woman like Loren. His final encounter with her is genuinely touching.
The four segments together run nearly three and a half hours, but, since they have nothing to do with each other, it's easy to watch one at a time. Portmanteau films can often vary a lot in quality, and most (even this one) are forgotten pretty quickly. This one is definitely a must-see for fans of Italian cinema, or any of the individual directors. The print by NoShame is gorgeous. Unfortunately, it is out of print, but Kino is re-releasing it (apparently on Blu-Ray, too, which should look even more outstanding) in September.
The weird and the Wonderful...
tim-764-2918565 August 2012
Though an ardent Fellini fan, it took me some time before getting round to buying this 'portmanteau' of four separate stories from Italy's leading directors of the time.
Which was actually 1962 and not the 1970 that the title suggests. Portraying love, sex and lust in the 'modern age' hence the futuristic date in the title each part is 50 minutes long and in my experience, is best watched in two sittings. You'll probably have read that as well as Fellini, Vittorio de Sica, Luchino Visconti and Mario Monicelli, all but the last being very well known to knowledgeable film buffs.
It takes nine writers, including input and ideas from the directors themselves to mould the very different stories here. The women definitely hold the upper hand in every one of them, loftily placed on pedestals - busty Anita Ekberg in Fellini's; Romy Schneider in Visconti's and Sophia Loren in de Sica's.
The first segment, from Monicelli, is actually a bonus on the DVD as it was apparently cut from theatrical releases shown outside Italy. But, actually, that part is a good setting point - ordinary young female factory workers who live with the worry of everyday life and love and the hanging threat of old traditions, the Church and ruthless employers who attempt to quell their youthful desire for sex. Some scenes, with busy trams and bustling street scenes at rush-hour, remind me of the earlier classic 'Bicycle Thieves'.
Visconti's part is a talky - and fairly boring - 'discussion', fixed to one nice, very posh apartment. The subject is now rather ordinary, probably unlike then, that I'm wanting more substance and variety. There again, I never was 'into' Visconti - high on style and period detail but low on flair and exuberance, at least compared to the others.
Fellini was in the late autumn of his career at this point and this manifests itself by him displaying some trademark vaguely tasteless wit, swipes at Catholicism and Authority but surprising us with some truly inspiring set-pieces. His first foray into colour, it's a very bumpy and uneven ride, bounding from barely watchable to reassuringly great and familiar.
A young and very shapely Sophia Loren, under De Sica, is used to portray many themes in neo-realist Italian cinema - Life itself. Outdoor fairs, sultry night-times when lovers and larger-than-life characters come out to play and village pettiness all affect this red-dressed temptress, who, like so many, yearn for greater and better things. It's at a touch funny and sad, but oddly, not as compelling as it should be. Though never the greatest actress, Loren doesn't let the side down, but her raw physical beauty always means that is what is seen first, before emotional depth.
Critical reviews vary - some quarters saying that it's a lot of wasted talent. My immediate response is that all the directors and key players have done far better work and those seeking them out for the first time should look elsewhere - I'd hate for anyone to be put off potentially brilliant Italian cinema by them watching this and being disappointed.
However, for Completists, like me, who have seen and loved these great director's best films, then the draw will become insufferably great and purchase will become inevitable. At least this quality transfer Mr Bongo release allows us to sample this odd collection at a good value price.
Which was actually 1962 and not the 1970 that the title suggests. Portraying love, sex and lust in the 'modern age' hence the futuristic date in the title each part is 50 minutes long and in my experience, is best watched in two sittings. You'll probably have read that as well as Fellini, Vittorio de Sica, Luchino Visconti and Mario Monicelli, all but the last being very well known to knowledgeable film buffs.
It takes nine writers, including input and ideas from the directors themselves to mould the very different stories here. The women definitely hold the upper hand in every one of them, loftily placed on pedestals - busty Anita Ekberg in Fellini's; Romy Schneider in Visconti's and Sophia Loren in de Sica's.
The first segment, from Monicelli, is actually a bonus on the DVD as it was apparently cut from theatrical releases shown outside Italy. But, actually, that part is a good setting point - ordinary young female factory workers who live with the worry of everyday life and love and the hanging threat of old traditions, the Church and ruthless employers who attempt to quell their youthful desire for sex. Some scenes, with busy trams and bustling street scenes at rush-hour, remind me of the earlier classic 'Bicycle Thieves'.
Visconti's part is a talky - and fairly boring - 'discussion', fixed to one nice, very posh apartment. The subject is now rather ordinary, probably unlike then, that I'm wanting more substance and variety. There again, I never was 'into' Visconti - high on style and period detail but low on flair and exuberance, at least compared to the others.
Fellini was in the late autumn of his career at this point and this manifests itself by him displaying some trademark vaguely tasteless wit, swipes at Catholicism and Authority but surprising us with some truly inspiring set-pieces. His first foray into colour, it's a very bumpy and uneven ride, bounding from barely watchable to reassuringly great and familiar.
A young and very shapely Sophia Loren, under De Sica, is used to portray many themes in neo-realist Italian cinema - Life itself. Outdoor fairs, sultry night-times when lovers and larger-than-life characters come out to play and village pettiness all affect this red-dressed temptress, who, like so many, yearn for greater and better things. It's at a touch funny and sad, but oddly, not as compelling as it should be. Though never the greatest actress, Loren doesn't let the side down, but her raw physical beauty always means that is what is seen first, before emotional depth.
Critical reviews vary - some quarters saying that it's a lot of wasted talent. My immediate response is that all the directors and key players have done far better work and those seeking them out for the first time should look elsewhere - I'd hate for anyone to be put off potentially brilliant Italian cinema by them watching this and being disappointed.
However, for Completists, like me, who have seen and loved these great director's best films, then the draw will become insufferably great and purchase will become inevitable. At least this quality transfer Mr Bongo release allows us to sample this odd collection at a good value price.
Finally out on DVD !!!! But...
wobelix12 November 2003
Words are not enough for this wonderful quadruple satire. Yes, in the beginning there were FOUR, but the Mario Monicelli story got cut to economize on time. It is the least funny but very compelling tale of two newlyweds finding no space or time to be alone together. A beautiful story.
On the DVD distributed by the Dutch label Homescreen all 4 stories are included. Very odd though, it is a widescreen version, but from the top & bottom there are layers missing. So all the players standing up, get there heads chopped of. Astonishing, and very irritating. The sound every now and then echos, which is bad too. And the only subtitles available are in Dutch...
But to see these wonderful tales again, of Fellini, Visconti, De Sica & Monicelli, and to see Romy Schneider, Sophia Loren & Anita Ekberg play so majestically, might be well worth it to forget about the technical problems of this DVD. And let's simply hope CRITERION can obtain the rights shortly, for they will surely do this fourfold little miracle justice...
On the DVD distributed by the Dutch label Homescreen all 4 stories are included. Very odd though, it is a widescreen version, but from the top & bottom there are layers missing. So all the players standing up, get there heads chopped of. Astonishing, and very irritating. The sound every now and then echos, which is bad too. And the only subtitles available are in Dutch...
But to see these wonderful tales again, of Fellini, Visconti, De Sica & Monicelli, and to see Romy Schneider, Sophia Loren & Anita Ekberg play so majestically, might be well worth it to forget about the technical problems of this DVD. And let's simply hope CRITERION can obtain the rights shortly, for they will surely do this fourfold little miracle justice...
Italian Anthology
gavin694219 July 2016
Four directors tell tales of Eros fit for a 1970s Decameron. Working-class lovers, Renzo and Luciana, marry but must hide it from her employer; plus, they need a room of their own. A billboard of Anita Ekberg provocatively selling milk gives a prudish crusader for public decency more than he can handle. The wife of a count whose escapades with call girls make the front page of the papers decides to work to prove her independence, but what is she qualified to do? A buxom carnival-booth manager who owes back taxes offers herself for one night in a lottery: a nerdy sacristan and a jealous cowboy make for a lovers' triangle. In each, women take charge, but not always happily.
Fellini's "Le tentazioni del dottor Antonio" (the second story) is really the highlight of the film. It could have been released separately and done very well, with its memorable sparring of a prudish doctor and a 50-foot woman (Anita Ekberg) who threatens to disrobe in public. The music in that section is also the best, with the children singing a milk jingle.
Part one is also strong, and speaks of a forbidden lower-class (or working-class) romance, and part three is alright. Part four is almost an afterthought, in that the movie is over two hours at that point and viewers would have already decided if they were fans or not.
Fellini's "Le tentazioni del dottor Antonio" (the second story) is really the highlight of the film. It could have been released separately and done very well, with its memorable sparring of a prudish doctor and a 50-foot woman (Anita Ekberg) who threatens to disrobe in public. The music in that section is also the best, with the children singing a milk jingle.
Part one is also strong, and speaks of a forbidden lower-class (or working-class) romance, and part three is alright. Part four is almost an afterthought, in that the movie is over two hours at that point and viewers would have already decided if they were fans or not.
Fellini's "The Temptation of Dr. Antonio" unbearable...
barkingechoacrosswaves27 September 2011
I have not seen all of the components of this multi-director opus, but saw the Fellini bit and it was quite weak, in my opinion. Fellini's short film, "The Temptation of Dr. Antonio," revolves around the prudery of a middle-aged man, played by Peppino De Filippo. Dr. Antonio's rigid morality cannot abide a billboard of Anita Ekberg advertising milk because Ekberg is showing a bit of cleavage. Perhaps in 1962 this "comic device" was conceivable but in 2011 it is absurd and painful to watch. On top of the extremely dated and un-funny antics of Peppino vis-a-vis Ekberg, there is a young child (a putti, actually) narrating the film... perhaps this narrator is the "glue" holding all the films within this film together. The singing of this little kid about milk and her various other sundry contributions is super annoying and another reason to avoid this short Fellini movie.
temptations and taboos
rogierr7 October 2001
These three directors definitely distinguish themselves here from each other without being cocky. Well, Fellini and Ekberg may be VERY audacious, but that just adds positively to his work in my opinion. In his segment 'The temptations of Dr. Antonio' is enough material to fill an entire feature. It brings big fun and surrealism in a story about a very BIG billboard with a picture of Anita Ekberg on it holding a glass of milk. A moralistic guy (censor?) who lives right in front of the billboard (and BTW gets a very funny introduction in the film) can't accept the supposedly scandalous picture and takes action. After seeing it, I couldn't get this tune out of my head: 'Bevete piu latte' (you must drink milk) which is a commercial tune for the billboard. It is all very carnavalesque, versatile and entertaining. It's a pity Giuseppe Rotunno (Amarcord, Città delle donne, il Gattopardo, Carnal Knowledge) didn't dignify this segment with his cinematography (as he DID with Visconti's poetic segment which has a much more distinct atmosphere and has less special effects).
The common factor between the three segments is a (light) moral discussion about what sexual borders people can have and what must occur to make them actually think about it. Where exactly lies the border of your taboos? The film is also watchable as plain entertainment, for the three starring ladies are captivating and intense here (though in general I don't like Ekberg that much). Romy Scheider played a girl in the silly 'Sissy' (1955-57), but is already glorious with her subtle impression in this segment of a mature lady who gets double-crossed by her fiancee and takes revenge.
I didn't see the segment 'Renzo e Luciana' unfortunately, because it was unavailable :(, but I guess I liked Fellini's part best and De Sica's least (as most of his work): De Sica had some better short films in 'Ieri, oggi, domani' (1963, all starring Sophia Loren). Or it could be that I liked the first two segments best, because there was Nino Rota's (Godfather, Amarcord) score under them. De Sica's segment is just not interesting in any way. Nevertheless this is a triptych of the highest order: underrated.
9/10
The common factor between the three segments is a (light) moral discussion about what sexual borders people can have and what must occur to make them actually think about it. Where exactly lies the border of your taboos? The film is also watchable as plain entertainment, for the three starring ladies are captivating and intense here (though in general I don't like Ekberg that much). Romy Scheider played a girl in the silly 'Sissy' (1955-57), but is already glorious with her subtle impression in this segment of a mature lady who gets double-crossed by her fiancee and takes revenge.
I didn't see the segment 'Renzo e Luciana' unfortunately, because it was unavailable :(, but I guess I liked Fellini's part best and De Sica's least (as most of his work): De Sica had some better short films in 'Ieri, oggi, domani' (1963, all starring Sophia Loren). Or it could be that I liked the first two segments best, because there was Nino Rota's (Godfather, Amarcord) score under them. De Sica's segment is just not interesting in any way. Nevertheless this is a triptych of the highest order: underrated.
9/10
Loaded with star power, but stumbles in second half
gbill-748774 January 2023
This is a behemoth of a movie at nearly three and a half hours, but it's composed of four short films which can be viewed independently without losing much. The directors are Mario Monicelli, Federico Fellini, Luchino Visconti, and Vittorio De Sica - high caliber, indeed. With themes of love, marriage, sex, and morality, and with stars like Romy Schneider, Sophia Loren, and Anita Ekberg on the bill, it held great promise for me. Unfortunately, the film peaks early, with a strong first two films giving way to pacing issues and misogyny in the second half. If I had to rate them individually it would probably be along the lines of 4 stars, 4 stars, 2.5 stars, and 3 stars.
The first act is charming, and involves the early days in the marriage of a couple of blue collar workers (Marisa Solinas and Germano Giglioli). The sense of claustrophobia in this story is stifling, starting with just how many people there are in the scenes at the office, a swimming pool, and a movie theater, which are beautifully composed by director Mario Monicelli. More important is how closed in the couple are at home while sharing a room behind a thin door with her family, who are always around. She's also subject to incredibly unfair and misogynistic rules for her employment in an accounting department, which state that she's not allowed to be married or get pregnant. Her prying boss with his maniacal haha! Laugh is seriously creepy as he keeps an eye on her at and away from the office. How they cope with this and adapt in a supportive way is quite touching - this is what marriage is, or should be. The moment when he picks her up at the waist and she extends her calves behind her as they kiss is so graceful and perfect. Along the way, the film also touches on unequal pay between spouses (in particular, the woman earning more than the man) and references abortion while talking about an unwanted pregnancy. It's sweet romance, not gritty neorealism, but at the same time, it's got these elements as well as the sacrifices love must make, especially in the early days when a couple are establishing themselves in the world. Really enjoyed this one.
Act two has a conservative man who has taken it upon himself to uphold morality in the city aghast over a giant billboard put up to advertise milk, one with Anita Ekberg reclining seductively. While the people in the park it's put up in have no real issue with it, this guy believes it to be a corrupting influence and tries to do everything he can to have it taken down. The film skewers the "morality police" that pop up seemingly in every culture and every age, and does so effectively because it shows that their issues with what they deem "indecent" relate back to their own sublimated desires. Fellini adds some wonderful surreal touches when the woman on the poster comes to life in giant form. I couldn't decide which of these three lines I liked best: "When I move my hips, convents shake," "What's wrong with looking at a naked woman?" or "Milk is good for you, whatever your age!" the latter with "milk" obviously representing sex. It's just a wonderful, playful piece, but one with a timely edge for 1962.
Unfortunately, act three from Luchino Visconti is a step down, despite the charms of the gorgeous Romy Schneider, and her doing everything she can with the part. The story is just too simple: the marriage of a wealthy couple is on the rocks when the wife discovers her husband has been visiting high-end prostitutes, availing himself of some of them eleven times. In a needlessly elongated preamble with the lawyers, we see that she has all of the power in this situation, as the business assets are under her name and her father can take action for her. Despite that, she veers between staying with him in an open marriage, going out and getting a job for herself, and then becoming (essentially) a call girl herself to him. She's asked him if he would prefer her to the prostitutes in a hypothetical situation, you see, and done the math, estimating they've had sex 150 times in their 13 month marriage, equating to $60,000 at the rate he's paying. She's also gotten sex tips from one of the prostitutes he likes, promising him she'll be just as good for the money. The main issue is that there is just not enough escalation in this story and it's too flat for its duration, but just as important is how icky this resolution feels, with her emotional as she sacrifices her body and dignity to save their marriage. It was incredibly simplistic male fantasy, even though it probably thought of itself as empathetic to the wife. Regardless, a complete miss, watchable only for Schneider.
The fourth act is also rather disappointing, despite direction from Vittorio De Sica and Sophia Loren at the height of her powers dancing and jiggling around playfully in a tight red dress. She plays an illiterate woman in Naples who works at a carnival attraction, one that's rife with obvious sexual imagery. The locals, leering over her body, aim air rifles at various objects. "Aim at the balloons," she says, squeezing one about the size of her breasts into a revolving cage. "Finished shooting? That's three loads." she tells a customer before pulling his change out of her bra, oblivious to the double entendre. "Aim at the target," she tells the others, bending over to put something down. When one wins a bottle of wine, he promptly opens it and sprays it all over dress. Later she's forced to strip it off because a bull has escaped, and it's red, you see. It's all terribly low-brow and beneath both Loren and De Sica.
Worse, however, is where the story goes from there. To make money fast, she has a guy auction off lottery tickets for 3,000 lire, the equivalent of two days pay for a working man, for the chance to have sex with her. All the middle-aged men in town, as horny as they are unattractive, go wild. When a bald, mousy, religious guy wins and then shows up to claim his prize, a younger man who she's fallen for angrily takes her trailer on a wild, bumpy ride, with them bouncing around inside it. He then stops, gets out, and smacks her around, feeling the right to so after having known her for a few hours. Ashamed of herself, she then gives the bald guy the lottery winnings instead of her body, thus making herself "virtuous," and getting the other man back. The fact that the transformation in her character occurred not from within but from a guy she barely knew hitting her, compounded with her then still wanting to be with him, was nauseating and regressive, despite the sexual "freedom" that Loren and her character seemed to represent. The story line here was unfortunate.
The first act is charming, and involves the early days in the marriage of a couple of blue collar workers (Marisa Solinas and Germano Giglioli). The sense of claustrophobia in this story is stifling, starting with just how many people there are in the scenes at the office, a swimming pool, and a movie theater, which are beautifully composed by director Mario Monicelli. More important is how closed in the couple are at home while sharing a room behind a thin door with her family, who are always around. She's also subject to incredibly unfair and misogynistic rules for her employment in an accounting department, which state that she's not allowed to be married or get pregnant. Her prying boss with his maniacal haha! Laugh is seriously creepy as he keeps an eye on her at and away from the office. How they cope with this and adapt in a supportive way is quite touching - this is what marriage is, or should be. The moment when he picks her up at the waist and she extends her calves behind her as they kiss is so graceful and perfect. Along the way, the film also touches on unequal pay between spouses (in particular, the woman earning more than the man) and references abortion while talking about an unwanted pregnancy. It's sweet romance, not gritty neorealism, but at the same time, it's got these elements as well as the sacrifices love must make, especially in the early days when a couple are establishing themselves in the world. Really enjoyed this one.
Act two has a conservative man who has taken it upon himself to uphold morality in the city aghast over a giant billboard put up to advertise milk, one with Anita Ekberg reclining seductively. While the people in the park it's put up in have no real issue with it, this guy believes it to be a corrupting influence and tries to do everything he can to have it taken down. The film skewers the "morality police" that pop up seemingly in every culture and every age, and does so effectively because it shows that their issues with what they deem "indecent" relate back to their own sublimated desires. Fellini adds some wonderful surreal touches when the woman on the poster comes to life in giant form. I couldn't decide which of these three lines I liked best: "When I move my hips, convents shake," "What's wrong with looking at a naked woman?" or "Milk is good for you, whatever your age!" the latter with "milk" obviously representing sex. It's just a wonderful, playful piece, but one with a timely edge for 1962.
Unfortunately, act three from Luchino Visconti is a step down, despite the charms of the gorgeous Romy Schneider, and her doing everything she can with the part. The story is just too simple: the marriage of a wealthy couple is on the rocks when the wife discovers her husband has been visiting high-end prostitutes, availing himself of some of them eleven times. In a needlessly elongated preamble with the lawyers, we see that she has all of the power in this situation, as the business assets are under her name and her father can take action for her. Despite that, she veers between staying with him in an open marriage, going out and getting a job for herself, and then becoming (essentially) a call girl herself to him. She's asked him if he would prefer her to the prostitutes in a hypothetical situation, you see, and done the math, estimating they've had sex 150 times in their 13 month marriage, equating to $60,000 at the rate he's paying. She's also gotten sex tips from one of the prostitutes he likes, promising him she'll be just as good for the money. The main issue is that there is just not enough escalation in this story and it's too flat for its duration, but just as important is how icky this resolution feels, with her emotional as she sacrifices her body and dignity to save their marriage. It was incredibly simplistic male fantasy, even though it probably thought of itself as empathetic to the wife. Regardless, a complete miss, watchable only for Schneider.
The fourth act is also rather disappointing, despite direction from Vittorio De Sica and Sophia Loren at the height of her powers dancing and jiggling around playfully in a tight red dress. She plays an illiterate woman in Naples who works at a carnival attraction, one that's rife with obvious sexual imagery. The locals, leering over her body, aim air rifles at various objects. "Aim at the balloons," she says, squeezing one about the size of her breasts into a revolving cage. "Finished shooting? That's three loads." she tells a customer before pulling his change out of her bra, oblivious to the double entendre. "Aim at the target," she tells the others, bending over to put something down. When one wins a bottle of wine, he promptly opens it and sprays it all over dress. Later she's forced to strip it off because a bull has escaped, and it's red, you see. It's all terribly low-brow and beneath both Loren and De Sica.
Worse, however, is where the story goes from there. To make money fast, she has a guy auction off lottery tickets for 3,000 lire, the equivalent of two days pay for a working man, for the chance to have sex with her. All the middle-aged men in town, as horny as they are unattractive, go wild. When a bald, mousy, religious guy wins and then shows up to claim his prize, a younger man who she's fallen for angrily takes her trailer on a wild, bumpy ride, with them bouncing around inside it. He then stops, gets out, and smacks her around, feeling the right to so after having known her for a few hours. Ashamed of herself, she then gives the bald guy the lottery winnings instead of her body, thus making herself "virtuous," and getting the other man back. The fact that the transformation in her character occurred not from within but from a guy she barely knew hitting her, compounded with her then still wanting to be with him, was nauseating and regressive, despite the sexual "freedom" that Loren and her character seemed to represent. The story line here was unfortunate.
Sketch film that's too long
bob99812 March 2022
A sketch film that runs 3.5 hours is just too long; sketches should last 15-20 minutes to be most effective. What we have here are four short films by three first rate directors and one journeyman (Monicelli).
First up is Monicelli, and it's really easy to see why his episode was cut for North American release: it's a dull account of lower middle class struggles. The two protagonists are barely interesting enough to keep watching--and in fact I used fast forward to get through this one. More comedy would have helped.
Second is Fellini, and it's like switching from a bicycle to a Ferrari: the sight of a 50 foot tall, exuberant Anita Ekberg scandalizing a frustrated, virginal Peppino de Filippo will please just about everyone. Fellini's trademark satire of Italian Catholicism is given full rein here, and it's a joy to watch.
The Visconti sketch has two great assets: Romy Schneider is in the full bloom of her youth and plays the frustrated wife so well. Tomas Milian, a Cuban-American actor seemed born to play the spoiled playboy Count; he's resentful of having to sponge off his rich father-in-law, and unwilling to grant his wife the freedom she needs.
Last and not quite least is De Sica: he's got Loren but alas he hasn't got a real story. We don't care about this raffle, about the villagers who scoot along in their Vespas, about Loren's poverty--no one can believe she never went to school.
My rating is 6; the excellence of Fellini and Visconti is somewhat offset by the mediocrity of the others.
First up is Monicelli, and it's really easy to see why his episode was cut for North American release: it's a dull account of lower middle class struggles. The two protagonists are barely interesting enough to keep watching--and in fact I used fast forward to get through this one. More comedy would have helped.
Second is Fellini, and it's like switching from a bicycle to a Ferrari: the sight of a 50 foot tall, exuberant Anita Ekberg scandalizing a frustrated, virginal Peppino de Filippo will please just about everyone. Fellini's trademark satire of Italian Catholicism is given full rein here, and it's a joy to watch.
The Visconti sketch has two great assets: Romy Schneider is in the full bloom of her youth and plays the frustrated wife so well. Tomas Milian, a Cuban-American actor seemed born to play the spoiled playboy Count; he's resentful of having to sponge off his rich father-in-law, and unwilling to grant his wife the freedom she needs.
Last and not quite least is De Sica: he's got Loren but alas he hasn't got a real story. We don't care about this raffle, about the villagers who scoot along in their Vespas, about Loren's poverty--no one can believe she never went to school.
My rating is 6; the excellence of Fellini and Visconti is somewhat offset by the mediocrity of the others.
There's More Here Than Meets The Eye.
JoeKulik24 August 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Boccaccio '70 (1962) is a very heavy film, in my opinion.
My interpretation of it is that the outward and blatant sexual aspect of each of the four episodes of this cinematic anthology is a mere superficial veneer, a literary artifice, if you will, that is used as a vehicle for a biting commentary on modern social life, a life disrupted and transformed by the emerging corporate and technological forces impinging upon the individual.
Although the outward social situation portrayed in each episode appears to be so different from the others, it seems to me that there was, at some level, a unified coordination behind the production of this film, ensuring that the social commentary portrayed by the film as a whole film was consistent, in some respects. Yet, each individual episode voices this unified social commentary from its own unique perspective.
The sexual aspect of the film as a whole is the common point in each episode that is used as a symbol of the basic humanity of the individual. Hence, it is during the execution of the sex act itself that the individual is stripped of all his assigned social roles, and their attendant assigned social personas, and where the individual is most closely in touch with his inner, true, genuine self. It is also during the very execution of the sex act where an individual can find a time in his life that is outside the scope, and the purview of impinging societal forces.
This film was skillfully constructed to project a superficial appearance, greatly along outwardly sexual themes, to ensure the commercial viability of the film, a superficial appearance that would appeal to the masses of the ticket buying public who hunger for simple entertainment. Yet beneath the veil of this general public appeal, lies a carefully constructed harsh social commentary that provides much fodder for intellectual, and artistic analysis for the minority of film viewers who are inclined to such reflective thinking.
Boccaccio '70 (1962) is a truly remarkable cinematic achievement for many different reasons, at least in my opinion.
My interpretation of it is that the outward and blatant sexual aspect of each of the four episodes of this cinematic anthology is a mere superficial veneer, a literary artifice, if you will, that is used as a vehicle for a biting commentary on modern social life, a life disrupted and transformed by the emerging corporate and technological forces impinging upon the individual.
Although the outward social situation portrayed in each episode appears to be so different from the others, it seems to me that there was, at some level, a unified coordination behind the production of this film, ensuring that the social commentary portrayed by the film as a whole film was consistent, in some respects. Yet, each individual episode voices this unified social commentary from its own unique perspective.
The sexual aspect of the film as a whole is the common point in each episode that is used as a symbol of the basic humanity of the individual. Hence, it is during the execution of the sex act itself that the individual is stripped of all his assigned social roles, and their attendant assigned social personas, and where the individual is most closely in touch with his inner, true, genuine self. It is also during the very execution of the sex act where an individual can find a time in his life that is outside the scope, and the purview of impinging societal forces.
This film was skillfully constructed to project a superficial appearance, greatly along outwardly sexual themes, to ensure the commercial viability of the film, a superficial appearance that would appeal to the masses of the ticket buying public who hunger for simple entertainment. Yet beneath the veil of this general public appeal, lies a carefully constructed harsh social commentary that provides much fodder for intellectual, and artistic analysis for the minority of film viewers who are inclined to such reflective thinking.
Boccaccio '70 (1962) is a truly remarkable cinematic achievement for many different reasons, at least in my opinion.
Quality in this Italian film!
Billyjhobbs30 July 2001
What superlatives can really be added to the directors of this film that haven't already been used! Certainly, too, the acting is top rate. Loosely "based upon the 'Tales of the Decameron' written by Boccaccio," this film "updates" (from 14th century!)and brings alive the passion, the tragedy, the humor that Boccaccio and friends sought to "while away their time as the Plague ravaged Florence below"! Certainly any film that features Signorina Loren can't be all bad; ditto with Eckberg and Schneider--what a lovely trinity! Alas, seeing this film today is very, very difficult, as it hasn't been released for general consumption (as far as I know). Pity. It's a great film, even after 39 years!
Three Italian top directors give their opinion about love vs sex
frankde-jong12 June 2019
In the middleages Giovanni Boccaccio wrote the Decamerone, a collection of erotic stories. In 1971 Pier Paolo Pasolini would make a film called "Il Decameron" containing nine stories.
Nine years earlier 4 Italian directors would also make a film loosely based on the stories of the Decamerone, and they called it (after the writer) "Boccaccio 70". The film had a length of 3 hours and 25 minutes, and for the commercial release the story of Mario Monicelli was deleted. There remained a film of about two and a half hours with contributions of Federico Fellini, Luchino Visconti and Vittorio De Sica.
The three remaining stories are very different but they all relate to the three word pairs: Man versus woman, love versus sex and morality versus hypocrisy.
It is striking that al directors cast there favorite actress. Fellini works with Anita Ekberg, with whom he already had made "La dolce vita" (1960). Visconti selected Romy Schneider with whom he would later make "Ludwig" (1973). De Sica casted Sophia Loren, with whom he collaborated his whole career.
Not only are the actresses more famous than the actors in all three episodes, the female characters they portray are also stronger than the male characters in all three episodes. The male characters either hunger for or are afraid of sex.
Maybe not all three episodes are masterpieces, but they are sure worth watching. Different as they are it is difficult for me to select a favorite episode.
Nine years earlier 4 Italian directors would also make a film loosely based on the stories of the Decamerone, and they called it (after the writer) "Boccaccio 70". The film had a length of 3 hours and 25 minutes, and for the commercial release the story of Mario Monicelli was deleted. There remained a film of about two and a half hours with contributions of Federico Fellini, Luchino Visconti and Vittorio De Sica.
The three remaining stories are very different but they all relate to the three word pairs: Man versus woman, love versus sex and morality versus hypocrisy.
It is striking that al directors cast there favorite actress. Fellini works with Anita Ekberg, with whom he already had made "La dolce vita" (1960). Visconti selected Romy Schneider with whom he would later make "Ludwig" (1973). De Sica casted Sophia Loren, with whom he collaborated his whole career.
Not only are the actresses more famous than the actors in all three episodes, the female characters they portray are also stronger than the male characters in all three episodes. The male characters either hunger for or are afraid of sex.
Maybe not all three episodes are masterpieces, but they are sure worth watching. Different as they are it is difficult for me to select a favorite episode.
Painfully boring clap-trap
IOBdennis31 October 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I couldn't believe how painfully boring and trite this movie is when I watched it in retrospect recently. Schneider seems to be sleep-walking through her segment. Ekberg is embarrassing with her dubbed laugh track that is incessant and stupid. Was this film made before or after "Attack of the 50-foot Woman"? Loren is the closest to being believable, but there are moments when she seems to be hamming it up as an inexperienced actor.
The plots of the 4 segments meander and go nowhere. Act I seems like a first attempt by a student studying film. Act II is a sophomoric joke--stereotypically Italian. Women are their (titter! titter!) mammaries, so "Drink more milk" (giggle giggle). And Fellini (a master elsewhere) is literally trotting out what come across as merely cinematic clichés for the audience only this time in color. There's a bus-load of "cool, hip, black" American jazz-savvy Americans; a quick-step marching brass band wearing black feathered hats who mid-march do a wild and crazy 360 turn as they march, right out of a previous Fellini flick. What's their point here? Oh, boy, I felt like I was really sopping up Italian culture then. Act III about the young couple suffering from modern ennui is lifeless drawing room "comedy". It drags on and on, and Schneider seems to be sleep-walking through it. Act IV, perhaps the most intelligent and entertaining of the segments, repeats itself maddeningly, and some of the lottery-exchanging tricks by the locals just don't seem to make much sense.
Supposedly Boccaccio was noted for his naturalistic dialog when he wrote. This film is mis-titled. It shares nothing in common with Boccaccio or "The Decameron". One thing that struck me while I was watching this lesson in boredom was how idiotic the dialog was. Someone says something like "I wish you would close the door," and the response is "But Mario needs new shoes, and my heart is broken." WHA? Non sequiturs abound. Oh, I felt so artsy. The dialog in the film comes across as a parody of Italian art films from the '60s and '70s. Only thing, THIS is the real thing. Yuck! Would I have felt that way about this film back then? Hard to say. I don't remember even having seen it then, and perhaps those visions of Italian culture that now seem stereotypical or trite may have been boldly decameron-esque back then.
The plots of the 4 segments meander and go nowhere. Act I seems like a first attempt by a student studying film. Act II is a sophomoric joke--stereotypically Italian. Women are their (titter! titter!) mammaries, so "Drink more milk" (giggle giggle). And Fellini (a master elsewhere) is literally trotting out what come across as merely cinematic clichés for the audience only this time in color. There's a bus-load of "cool, hip, black" American jazz-savvy Americans; a quick-step marching brass band wearing black feathered hats who mid-march do a wild and crazy 360 turn as they march, right out of a previous Fellini flick. What's their point here? Oh, boy, I felt like I was really sopping up Italian culture then. Act III about the young couple suffering from modern ennui is lifeless drawing room "comedy". It drags on and on, and Schneider seems to be sleep-walking through it. Act IV, perhaps the most intelligent and entertaining of the segments, repeats itself maddeningly, and some of the lottery-exchanging tricks by the locals just don't seem to make much sense.
Supposedly Boccaccio was noted for his naturalistic dialog when he wrote. This film is mis-titled. It shares nothing in common with Boccaccio or "The Decameron". One thing that struck me while I was watching this lesson in boredom was how idiotic the dialog was. Someone says something like "I wish you would close the door," and the response is "But Mario needs new shoes, and my heart is broken." WHA? Non sequiturs abound. Oh, I felt so artsy. The dialog in the film comes across as a parody of Italian art films from the '60s and '70s. Only thing, THIS is the real thing. Yuck! Would I have felt that way about this film back then? Hard to say. I don't remember even having seen it then, and perhaps those visions of Italian culture that now seem stereotypical or trite may have been boldly decameron-esque back then.
Romy is the best
Gigi-8317 November 2003
I've seen "Boccaccio" just few days ago and so I can express my fresh opinion of it. And I have seen FOUR segments of it - including "Renzo e Luciana" of Monicelli which is quite good. It puts some accent on social criticism and tells about young consorts that due to their poverty and constrained conditions have to bear many difficulties in their family life. The second of Fellini I almost forced myself to look to the end - I'm not fond of big bust and hips like ones of Ekberg. This segment seemed to me too flashy and tasteless (just imagine the plump Cupidon with the silky wings and nuns in the paper burlesque frock)though it's main idea concerning with the sexual complexes that obsess the most convinced moralists is very clear. I regret to write this as I didn't expect such a disappointment from Fellini whom I esteem much for his wonderful "Le notti di Cabiria". The third segment - 'Il Lavoro" ( The job) - is the most exquisite, thoughtful, plastic and stylish. Here Visconti tried to subject to his rigorous analysis the question of what lies in the base of a modern marriage. It's also the story of a young well-off little woman ( Romy Schneider) that one day faces the necessity of earning money by her own (thanks to her light-minded husband's behavior) and understand that she has nothing to offer in this men's world except her body. Romy dressed up by Chanel is very sexual (but when I use this word it means something very far from vulgar, something surrounded with the mist of secret and desire) and touching; after the number of the roles of cheerful ingenuous girls she for the first time found the image suiting her real abilities and qualities. The forth segment is "La riffa" (The raffle) be de Sica. De Sica made some good film in the time of realism but then yielded to the commercial cinema and seemed to be unable for the more or less significant criticism. Thus his segment is very light and benevolent with a lot of spicy humor and a lot of Loren
charming, colourful and revealing
christopher-underwood26 May 2019
Without doubt over long at almost three and a half hours but easily watched in parts. I watched the first three segments and the fourth later and this, I understand was never included outside Italy anyway and is not quite as enchanting as the rest. The opening part from Fellini is impressive, with wonderful colour, movement and imaginative and surreal moments. Despite the presence of Anita Ekberg, however, it does begin to tire and for a short film begin to seem rather long. I really enjoyed the Visconti contribution and the wonderful performance from Rome Schneider in particular. It is good to see Tomas Milian in an early role but he is rather overshadowed here. Against my expectations, I particularly enjoyed the de Sica item featuring a masterful performance from Sophia Loren. I particularly liked the dubious illegal lottery for sex element and all the fairground vehicles and rides but it has to be said that even if Loren cannot act like the sultry and bewitching Schneider she certainly has a an amazing physical presence. Overall, charming, colourful and revealing of early 60s Italian sex foibles.
Liked watching it over again
hollywoodshack17 December 2020
Worth seeing just for the Fellini segment!!!
planktonrules15 March 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I assume the title "BOCCACCIO '70" was picked as a reference to the famous Renaissance work THE DECAMERON, though instead of ten stories, this film is made up of only 4 (3 in the international release). Why "'70"? Perhaps it was meant as a film for the 70s and a new era of sensual films--I don't know. Regardless, it debuted in 1962, so I am confused about the title.
The first film (the one that was dropped when released internationally) is a pretty cute little film about a couple whose experiences as newlyweds are just awful. The segment is directed by Monicelli and I heard it was dropped partly due to the excessive length of the overall film and because his is the only portion without a big name international star. The poor couple are forced by finances to live with the bride's family (who won't give them a second of privacy--with a glass door to their bedroom and a noisy meddlesome house), but for some odd reason the lady was told she would lose her job if she got married! This is all very strange and I can't imagine any job enforcing this in this day and age. So, they can't tell anyone other than her family that they are married and it creates many complications--particularly when her boss makes advances on her! The film is cute and very watchable but suffers some from being a bit too long (it probably would have been better to end it a few minutes sooner--right after they moved out of her parents' home). Also, for the faint of heart, you get to see the boss in a very skimpy bathing suit--he was so unattractive and yechy in it, my eyes are still burning! I'd give this segment a 6 or 7.
The second segment, and by far the best, is the Fellini film. Now I am NOT a fan of most of his work--I truly believe some of his films are overrated and too indulgent. This time, however, his film, while not perfect, is not to be missed. It's a very silly and rather surreal piece about a nasty little man who spends all of his energy trying to enforce his crazy views about sexuality on EVERYONE. Practically everything he sees he thinks is dirty and even the most innocent things are attacked by this self-appointed crusader for virtue. The old prudes in town like him but most others think (correctly so) that he's a nut. The last straw for this guy is a giant billboard featuring the voluptuous Anita Ekberg for a milk commercial. I goes up right outside his apartment window and he practically becomes unhinged and tries in vain to get it removed. Later he even resorts to tossing paint on the 80 food image! Eventually, the man becomes so wrapped up in the fight over the advertisement that he begins hallucinating! At first he sees or hears her--such as an arm here and a voice there. Then later, the film gets REALLY weird as Ms. Ekberg walks off the billboard and chases the man because she apparently finds him irresistible! It's a lot like ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WOMAN but much, much funnier! The only negative at all is the billboard--it sings and sings and sings the same jingle again and again and might drive some of you crazy! Still, this one deserves a 10!
The next segment by director Visconti I frankly found pretty dull. It's about a young couple who have two problems--their marriage is in trouble and they are young, attractive and rich! This is a rather familiar theme in many of Visconti's films--rich bored folks. I really felt no connection to them and people whining about their lives when they have SO MUCH made me frustrated that I almost skipped ahead on the DVD to the next segment--it was THAT dull and irritating. Despite having a very sexy Romy Schneider dressing and undressing (again and again), there was nothing memorable about it. This one, at best, gets a 5 or 6--and that's just for Schneider.
The final was a cute short by director DeSica--my favorite Italian director. It was the second best segment but just couldn't keep up with the Fellini piece--and you really can't blame DeSica for this, the Fellini was definitely at his best. In this odd piece, an illegal lottery is being conducted but instead of the usual prize, sex with Sophia Loren is the prize!! All the ugly old guys in town are pushing and shoving, scrimping and saving to sign up! Despite being a very sexy segment, it really isn't all that explicit and ends very well. It's very good and quite cute. It's deserving of an 8.
Overall, it's a very interesting but inconsistent film. Some portions are must-see segments but others are not--but the overall effect is excellent.
The first film (the one that was dropped when released internationally) is a pretty cute little film about a couple whose experiences as newlyweds are just awful. The segment is directed by Monicelli and I heard it was dropped partly due to the excessive length of the overall film and because his is the only portion without a big name international star. The poor couple are forced by finances to live with the bride's family (who won't give them a second of privacy--with a glass door to their bedroom and a noisy meddlesome house), but for some odd reason the lady was told she would lose her job if she got married! This is all very strange and I can't imagine any job enforcing this in this day and age. So, they can't tell anyone other than her family that they are married and it creates many complications--particularly when her boss makes advances on her! The film is cute and very watchable but suffers some from being a bit too long (it probably would have been better to end it a few minutes sooner--right after they moved out of her parents' home). Also, for the faint of heart, you get to see the boss in a very skimpy bathing suit--he was so unattractive and yechy in it, my eyes are still burning! I'd give this segment a 6 or 7.
The second segment, and by far the best, is the Fellini film. Now I am NOT a fan of most of his work--I truly believe some of his films are overrated and too indulgent. This time, however, his film, while not perfect, is not to be missed. It's a very silly and rather surreal piece about a nasty little man who spends all of his energy trying to enforce his crazy views about sexuality on EVERYONE. Practically everything he sees he thinks is dirty and even the most innocent things are attacked by this self-appointed crusader for virtue. The old prudes in town like him but most others think (correctly so) that he's a nut. The last straw for this guy is a giant billboard featuring the voluptuous Anita Ekberg for a milk commercial. I goes up right outside his apartment window and he practically becomes unhinged and tries in vain to get it removed. Later he even resorts to tossing paint on the 80 food image! Eventually, the man becomes so wrapped up in the fight over the advertisement that he begins hallucinating! At first he sees or hears her--such as an arm here and a voice there. Then later, the film gets REALLY weird as Ms. Ekberg walks off the billboard and chases the man because she apparently finds him irresistible! It's a lot like ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WOMAN but much, much funnier! The only negative at all is the billboard--it sings and sings and sings the same jingle again and again and might drive some of you crazy! Still, this one deserves a 10!
The next segment by director Visconti I frankly found pretty dull. It's about a young couple who have two problems--their marriage is in trouble and they are young, attractive and rich! This is a rather familiar theme in many of Visconti's films--rich bored folks. I really felt no connection to them and people whining about their lives when they have SO MUCH made me frustrated that I almost skipped ahead on the DVD to the next segment--it was THAT dull and irritating. Despite having a very sexy Romy Schneider dressing and undressing (again and again), there was nothing memorable about it. This one, at best, gets a 5 or 6--and that's just for Schneider.
The final was a cute short by director DeSica--my favorite Italian director. It was the second best segment but just couldn't keep up with the Fellini piece--and you really can't blame DeSica for this, the Fellini was definitely at his best. In this odd piece, an illegal lottery is being conducted but instead of the usual prize, sex with Sophia Loren is the prize!! All the ugly old guys in town are pushing and shoving, scrimping and saving to sign up! Despite being a very sexy segment, it really isn't all that explicit and ends very well. It's very good and quite cute. It's deserving of an 8.
Overall, it's a very interesting but inconsistent film. Some portions are must-see segments but others are not--but the overall effect is excellent.
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