34 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
DVD Technical Review, November 29, 2001
By A Customer
I have exchanged this DVD twice and find that the quality of the transfer is unacceptable. Fox Lorber simply did a poor job of transferring this film to DVD. I recommend that you NOT purchase this DVD until they do a better job of transferring the movie. The movie deserves better.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent film - poor DVD, September 19, 2004
One of the early Wertmuller films, allready demonstrating all the hallmarks of her style. A brave film, uncompromising in its grotesquerie, and driving home its bleak message as only Wertmuller can. Not as compelling as the later masterpieces, or demonstrating as much of the trademark humour, but still putting most to shame.
The film deserves a full five stars, but Fox Lorber's dvd deserves zero - a very poorly done transfer made from a very poor source. It looks like the sort of thing you could put together at home from an old vhs copy. This powerful film needs a proper dvd transfer.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wertmuller's most stylish film, October 4, 2000
By A Customer
This film, set in a brothel during WWII in fascist Italy, hammers home Wertmuller's common theme that men, ruled by their passions as well as society's views of how men must act (see her film "All Screwed Up" for an even more unambiguous statement of this philosphy), cannot adapt well to change and are often the reasons for their own downfalls. Gianini plays a country peasant who travels to the city to assassinate Mussolini; seemingly devoid of poilitical convictions, the only clue we get to reason behind his mission is his statement, "Sometimes a Man must stand up and say enough!". And it is this statement that is his ultimate downfall.
By contrast, the women in the brothel show themselves to me quite strong, yet capable of adapting to the changes the political situation brings; they can get along with the fascists (allowing them to sample their wares), yet can also strike back or make the sacrifices necessary to achieve their aims (one of the major sacrifices demonstrated is the major character's willingnenss to allow her beloeved to think she betrayed him (and wind up hating her) to save his life. Even the men that get along with the fascists assume the more submissive, traditionally female roles. The real tragedy occurs because Gianini's character refuses to abandon his macho character traits and foolishly goes forward with a suicide mission which is neither well thought out or executed.
Some of Wertmuller's ideas and themes may be a bit dated, remember this was released nearly thirty years ago; but the film provides an entertaining look at a woman's view of a male dominated society in the early days of the womens' liberation movement. The style, pacing, and direction, to sya nothing of the acting talents of Gianini and Melato, contribute to an important film that is well worth viewing.
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