The Most Lovely Wife is a gritty Italian crime thriller directed by Damiano Damiani. This is my first film by this director and I was very impressed.
A patriarchal mafia boss who is about to be arrested, tells his young protégé that he must marry a beautiful wife who is poor and uneducated. The arrogant and impressionable young man sets his sights on a poor and seemingly gullible peasant girl and even scares away her fiancée. Even though the peasant girl falls for the young man, she refuses to marry him. He kidnaps and rapes her to show his enemies (who taunt him about her) that he is a man. Instead of caving down and marrying him, the girl (Ornella Muti) goes to the police and tries to get the young mafiosi arrested. Her family and society turn against her.
The films locations alternates between the Sicilian country side and the city. Some of the poor Sicilians are portrayed as backward and impotent. Like other Italian films of this period (Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion), the police and clergy are portrayed as extremely corrupt.
The score by Ennio Morricone (which attracted me to this wonderful film) is spectacular - it sort of adds to the gradual build up of conflict between the sexes.
Ornella Muti is bewitching as the young peasant girl who fights back. She almost looks like a young innocent witch as she slowly takes down the man who has wronged her. What an actress! - she was only 14 when she made this. She is a perfect foil for the arrogant and cruel young mafioso (Alessio Orano).
The film did have a rather unimaginative title sequence. I couldn't believe this was the best the director could come up with when he had such a terrific score by Morricone.
A patriarchal mafia boss who is about to be arrested, tells his young protégé that he must marry a beautiful wife who is poor and uneducated. The arrogant and impressionable young man sets his sights on a poor and seemingly gullible peasant girl and even scares away her fiancée. Even though the peasant girl falls for the young man, she refuses to marry him. He kidnaps and rapes her to show his enemies (who taunt him about her) that he is a man. Instead of caving down and marrying him, the girl (Ornella Muti) goes to the police and tries to get the young mafiosi arrested. Her family and society turn against her.
The films locations alternates between the Sicilian country side and the city. Some of the poor Sicilians are portrayed as backward and impotent. Like other Italian films of this period (Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion), the police and clergy are portrayed as extremely corrupt.
The score by Ennio Morricone (which attracted me to this wonderful film) is spectacular - it sort of adds to the gradual build up of conflict between the sexes.
Ornella Muti is bewitching as the young peasant girl who fights back. She almost looks like a young innocent witch as she slowly takes down the man who has wronged her. What an actress! - she was only 14 when she made this. She is a perfect foil for the arrogant and cruel young mafioso (Alessio Orano).
The film did have a rather unimaginative title sequence. I couldn't believe this was the best the director could come up with when he had such a terrific score by Morricone.