I saw Malizia in a plain Italian version (no dubs, no subtitles), so I didn't understand any of the dialogue. But wow, this is probably the most erotic film I've ever seen, and will possibly ever see. This accolade is in large part due to Laura Antonelli, an actress I wasn't aware of until now. She is gorgeous and her acting is outstanding.
The action takes place in an upper-class family in Sicily, where the mother has died and is supplanted by a young housekeeper, Angela (Laura Antonelli). Although she becomes engaged to the widower rather quickly, she is no tramp or gold digger. She really enjoys being a housekeeper and mother to the three boys, although she isn't much older than some of them, and seems genuinely attached to the cavaliere. Her role is very complex and subtle -- she is attractive and coy, a girl who has taken on a very mature role. While the benjamin still misses his real mama, the teenage sons and the father are enthralled and spellbound by her.
What could be a beautifully shot erotic fluffpiece then takes a twist towards a much darker side. Realising that he won't win her over romantically, the middle son, Nino, begins to harass, blackmail and eventually dominate Angela, by exploiting her precarious social position as someone who is just a servant and at risk of being socially ostracised. I think that Angela also feels protective of her ward, and is not least not entirely unreceptive to his advances. And at the time, blowing the whistle on sexual harassment just wasn't socially acceptable -- the perpetrator was thus always at an advantage. But eventually, Angela manages to turn the table and break free from Nino.
This is not only the most erotic, it is one of the best movies I have seen, ever. It's perfect. Don't let the fact that Laura Antonelli is drop-dead gorgeous or that this is an erotic movie filmed in 1973 fool you into lumping this masterpiece in with softcore flicks from the same era.
The action takes place in an upper-class family in Sicily, where the mother has died and is supplanted by a young housekeeper, Angela (Laura Antonelli). Although she becomes engaged to the widower rather quickly, she is no tramp or gold digger. She really enjoys being a housekeeper and mother to the three boys, although she isn't much older than some of them, and seems genuinely attached to the cavaliere. Her role is very complex and subtle -- she is attractive and coy, a girl who has taken on a very mature role. While the benjamin still misses his real mama, the teenage sons and the father are enthralled and spellbound by her.
What could be a beautifully shot erotic fluffpiece then takes a twist towards a much darker side. Realising that he won't win her over romantically, the middle son, Nino, begins to harass, blackmail and eventually dominate Angela, by exploiting her precarious social position as someone who is just a servant and at risk of being socially ostracised. I think that Angela also feels protective of her ward, and is not least not entirely unreceptive to his advances. And at the time, blowing the whistle on sexual harassment just wasn't socially acceptable -- the perpetrator was thus always at an advantage. But eventually, Angela manages to turn the table and break free from Nino.
This is not only the most erotic, it is one of the best movies I have seen, ever. It's perfect. Don't let the fact that Laura Antonelli is drop-dead gorgeous or that this is an erotic movie filmed in 1973 fool you into lumping this masterpiece in with softcore flicks from the same era.