Comment

Froster
Nov 29, 2014Froster rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Savagely sarcastic satire, in which the casting itself signifies the director's intent. It also adds to a bit of incoherence, as it's very much made with "opera buffa" characters and plot line, partially with Neo-realist technique, and studded with Goya-esque visions. Regardless, there is real social commentary about the helplessness of women in this Italian society, and the clown masks keep slipping. This becomes a problem with the "chief clown", Saro Urzi, whose farcical character is so overblown, that it's difficult to empathize with his victimhood at the end of the film. This is not an issue with the extraordinary Stefania Sandrelli however, whose anguish and beauty gives the film its moral center. For the most part, Bravo!