I'm a big fan of the beautiful Teresa Ann Savoy and expected this film to be a good one, especially because she is the second name in the opening credits, which lead me to think she would have much more screen time. But my expectations were frustrated when I finally watch the movie in a very crapped VHS transfer.
The plot is very silly, with a sick boy called Luca (Karl Zinny) being disputed by two women (Savoy and Stefania Sandrelli) during the Republic of Saló period. Luca doesn't have a good relationship with his parents and wants to make a revolution. All this is presented in a very unconvincing way. The plot was based in a book by celebrated author Alberto Moravia, but I think that the book must be better than this adaptation to the big screen.
In the cast, there are some respected names like Mario Ardoff, Marie-Jose Nat, Jacques Perrin and Nanny Loy. The soundtrack by Ennio Morricone is beautiful and the cinematography by Dante Spinotti and Paolo Tassara is effective, but all these elements aren't sufficient to make this a great film. The main problem is the weak screenplay.
What is more frustrating is to see the gorgeous Teresa Ann Savoy in a mere supporting role! With such a beauty, she deserved to be the protagonist in prestigious films. Unfortunately, she had a very poor filmography, having appearing in some bizarre movies in the 70s and being relegated to supporting roles in obscure films in the 80s. What a shame!
