"Una donna per sette bastardi" (Sewer Rats) literally translated means "A woman for seven bastards". Even if it takes place in modern times, this film has somewhat the feel of a spaghetti western. A man with no name is driving through a dirt road when his car breaks down. He's a strong-built man, but a cripple (and that's how the others will call him). Nearby there is an old mining town composed by some wooden houses. When the Cripple (Richard Harrison) arrives there, he'll be received with hostility and distrust. There are six bastards in the town. There's Carl (Antonio Casale) that owns everything in the town. There's Gordon (Gordon Mitchell) that arrived there with a military uniform and is the partner of Carl. There's the Mute (Luciano Rossi). He plays harmonica all the time and besides being mute, he's also a hunchback and seems to be an imbecile as well. There's Smith (Ivano Staccioli) that escaped from a nuthouse. There's Dick (Luciano Bartoli), a runaway convict. There's the Old Man (Andrea Checchi). And finally there's Rita (Dagmar Lassander) who is married to Carl and is the only woman in town. Rita is constantly harassed, beaten and raped, but she seems to enjoy the whole thing. There's dissension and distrust among the crew and they are constantly fighting against each other (often because of Rita). As to the Cripple, he carries a secret with him. Nobody knows who he is or what he wants.
The film is not as sleazy as it may seem by my description. It suffered several cuts, but what remains is still fun enough. I've ordered "Sewer Rats" through the alternative market and the film is not in good shape (in the night scenes the images look very fuzzy), but in spite of all I think that the film is watchable.
If you like Dagmar Lassander, that's the film for you. She plays an incredibly slutty role and seems to be enjoying every moment of it. "Sewer Rats" may not be a great film but it should interest all those who like the 70s Italian films. The rough and the crude are enhanced by good hand-held cameras. The story is good and the film feels spontaneous.
