La Ragazza Di Trieste: The Girl From Trieste

A must watch.

It's been a while since we left Ornella Muti's filmography behind. Today, we continue with one of her best films. La Ragazza Di Trieste AKA The Girl From Trieste, is a 1982 softcore erotic drama with a solid story that guarantees  not only a good time for Muti fans but to all quality film making fans. In the 70's Ornella Muti would star many sexploitation films that were hit and miss, but once she entered the 80's her career would go a step further. 

In her past she surely  was recognized as an Italian sexploitation starlet (along with Gloria Guida, Laura Antonelli, etc) due to her astonishing natural beauty, but in the late 70's, film makers would also acknowledge her tremendous acting skills, namely, Marco Ferreri who would have her as his star in 1976's controversial art film La Derniere Femme. In 1981 they'd team up again for another great piece based upon Charles Bukowsky's life "Tales Of Ordinary Madness" (a review is coming soon) So today's entry is another masterpiece in her career. 

La Ragazza Di Trieste is based on a novel written by Pasquale Campanile Festa, who also happens to direct the on screen adaptation.

 

The artist meets the goddess.

Nobody knows who I am.

The story of today's film in review follows the life of Dino Romani, a middle-aged artist (Ben Gazarra) that while sketching on the beach, witnesses a young woman (Ornella Muti) being rescued from drowning. He borrows her his blanket to keep her warm. As promised, she returns the blanket later and "in return" they spend the night together making the beast (Yes, I'm a Shakespeare fan) Such night would happen again several time making things become more complicated as Dino begins to fall in love with this mysterious bombshell  who leaves right after sex leaving no trace of her whereabouts.  After doing some research Dino finds out her real name is Nicole and that everything she told him about her life seems to be a lie.

Muti (above mentioned) is excellent in this movie, but it's really hard to believe her role is about a girl who's searching for everlasting love without any luck at all. Watching someone who has been chosen several times as the most beautiful women in the world in scenes where she has call men attention at the risk of her life makes you think  the producers should have chosen another actress in order to deliver a more believable reality but then again, movies aren't perfect.

If life gives you lemons.

"C'mon, one more facial for the good ol' times"

With her beauty set aside, we find out Nicole is an escapee from a mental institution suffering from bipolar disorder, nymphomania and pathological lying disorder. However, Her gorgeous body and amazing bedroom skills allow poor Dino  to forgive her. Nevertheless, things aren't that simple when it comes to establishing a relationship with someone who isn't healthy in the head.

By the time Dino arrives in Trieste he has no clue about who this sexually appealing character is but if you pay close attention to the opening scenes, the beach pub baristas seem to know her very well as they say something like "there she goes again playing drowning for random strangers" So that single line is screaming at you "she's a crazy bitch, she's done it before and she'll do it again, so wraiths be warned"

Lesbian action.

Where's  the next man I will  suck dry?

The climax of the film sets a different, darker more sinister mood to it, very unexpected I might say but it works wonderfully as we finally face the truth as it is: Nicole is completely insane, she does what she pleases and she doesn't care about hurting other people's feelings, hell! she doesn't even care about hurting herself!

Overall, an entertaining but serious film that teaches us that appearances can be deceiving, and that being as beautiful as Ornella Muti is, isn't necessarily going to get you your prince charming as easy as 1,2,3. Also, this film greatly explores the concepts of madness, self-esteem, infatuation and sexuality. Unlike her previous films (mostly the ones from the 70's) this film is not a comedy so if you're expecting a good laugh, skip this one. Now, if you're looking for one of the few sexploitation films that actually have a content that is well developed this is definitely for you.

Here's the magnificent film for your viewing pleasure, courtesy of the public domain law:

Quella Eta' Maliziosa: That Malicious Age

All hail Gloria.

Quella Eta' Maliziosa, AKA That Malicious Age is a 1975 italian Sexploitation film directed by Silvio Amadio, and starred by blonde Italian bombshell Gloria Guida, Nino Castelnuovo and Anita Sanders. 1975 would be the most prolific year for Guida, filming not only one, but 4 films with her blonde pubes talent (Blue Jeans, Il Solco Di Pesca, Peccati Di Gioventu & today's film in review) Out of the 4 films she made in 1975, I'd say Quella Eta' Maliziosa is the most "everlasting" if you can tag a film with such word. Blue Jeans is definitely her "breakthrough" film but today's flick has a far more consistent storytelling, acting, score & photography. However, this time Gloria Guida is not the main character in the story (despite having her in all promo shots/posters) 

The movie is about a failed paint artist that goes by the name of Napoleone (nino Castelnuovo) Sick & tired of his marriage, he decides to call it quits and answers a request for a gardening position in the holiday house of a wealthy family in the far island of Elba.

Public Transportation System rules.

Peeping tom.

On the night of his first day, he sees Paola (Guida) getting undressed in a striptease fashion as she's dancing to some groovy 70's music. It is more than evident she knows he's seen her but nothing happens (yet)

Not long after the night scene, Napoleone finds a perverted fisherman (Mimmo Palmara) dancing and masturbating in front of Paola's window, finding this repulsive, Napoleone fights the man until Paola's mother (Sanders, her role has no name) stops the fight. Paola's mum takes the gardener to his room to find out why they were  fighting themselves outside her house. He explains everything with details and her reaction leads to Anita Sanders only nude scene on the film. 

Although the film features good acting provided by the more experienced actors (Castelnovo, Sanders & Palmara) the whole idea behind the film feels unfinished. Let's start by the film's name, why in the world would you call a movie "That Malicious Age" if only a couple of scenes sort of refer to it? The answer may be "this is an exploitation flick, don't all exploitation films do the same?" Yes, most of the exploitation flicks have misleading promo art. Despite the title's issue this is a good film of a man who wants to make a living out of his troubled marriage. The film is the story of Napoleone, a man who's seduced by both mother & daughter.

You fucking pig!

"I've got something for you to garden to"

"That Bush is going to be expensive ma'am"

Photography is definitely a good asset on this film. Filmed in its entirety in the beautiful Italian island of Elba, the film makers do not waste time when it comes to displaying the most appealing places the island features. The music, at times repetitive,  is in charge of composer Roberto Pregadio who delivers a groovy score that resembles the time it was written: the 70's!

When it comes to Gloria Guida,the blonde Italian starlet, her role suits her very well: little to say a lot to show. Like in most of her roles, she impersonates an oversexed blooming teenager who's looking for someone to have fun with. Since the movie is set in the summer time, young Paola has no school lessons to attend to, nevertheless she's studying English at Portoferraio (this allows Napoleone to drive her into town and get a little closer) Also, Paola has a boyfriend (seen in a family picnic scene) but she doesn't seem to care much about him since the arrival of the more experienced gardener.

"I'm melting with this fever, help me gardener"

"Yes, spread that cum on my tits"

As the film comes to its ending a plot twist is revealed: While Paola finally allows Napoleone to give her a good fuck in the woods they don't realize they were followed by the crazy fisherman. As soon as Napoleone goes after Paola's clothes (spread all over the woods) The filthy fisherman takes advantage of the situation and tries to rape the not so innocent Paola.  Unfortunately to him, Paola defends herself with a big rock, leaving him completely stunned. The slutty teen thinks she's killed him so as soon as she starts screaming, Napoleone returns to find her in complete shock. 

 

The outcome of the film will surprise you but it's nothing like a good Giallo, although it's been said somewhere that all you need to film a Giallo is to have at least one murder scene and in that case, Quella Eta' Maliziosa delivers. 

 

Doesn't the grass get in your ass?

"I'm a good girl, I swallowed your whole load"

"Get your hands off of me you dirty old man"

Overall, a movie you would only watch for enjoying Gloria Guida's magnificent body. however, she spends a lot more time nude in other films. If I were to recommend it, I'd say is a fairly entertainment journey of an innocent man who gets in the way of the wrong women at the wrong time, just don't expect a masterpiece because there are far greater Italian sexploitation flicks out there (check the labels on this blog) Guida somehow disappoints as she's not in the lead plus the lack of nude onscreen time this may not be the film you're looking for if you only care about her exploits. Nevertheless, if you want to have a good time with a cliched love story with a twist, then Quella Eta' Maliziosa is the film you're looking for.

 

Here's a fan made videoclip that sort of works as the film  trailer (there is no film trailer available online, if you find it let me know)

 

 

La Ragazzina: Monika

Gloria Guida's debut.

This is one of the first films of Gloria Guida, in fact it is her debut film! she was only nineteen years old at the time of the filming (1974) Unlike many speculators who claim Guida, like many other European bombshells began their nude career before they were legally entitled to. All of the boys at her school and men in her life lust after Monika who doesn’t want to give up her virginity until she meets the right suitor.

La Ragazzina, AKA Monika was co-written and directed by Mario Imperoli (he would next direct the Italian blockbuster Blue Jeans with Guida on his side once again) The screenplay for Monika was co-written by Arpad DeRiso who other notable screenplays include Hercules Against the Moon Men, Death Carries a Cane and Death Steps in the Dark. The score for Monika was composed by Nico Fidenco and it is reminiscent of the scores that he composed for the Black Emanuelle franchise that starred black beauty Laura Gemser. The Italian language title for Monika is “La Ragazzina”, which translates into “The teenie girl”.

So, what is Monika about?

The plot revolves around a young woman named Monika who is still a virgin as she approaches her sixteenth birthday(gee, first world problems!). Her grab happy boyfriend Leo time and again tries to pressure her into sleeping with him. Monika doesn’t want to give up her virginity to just anyone and she is willing to wait until she finds someone who "connects" with her on a more emotional level. Along the way the plot introduces two more suitors for Monika, her art teacher and one of her fathers’ business partners. It is with the art teacher that she finds the strongest connection, while her fathers’ business partner obsession far outgrows her residual interest in him.

Pimp &  Boyfriend.

Sunbathing.

The plot is clearly molded to exploit its star Gloria Guida in her first starring role and her more than abundant sex appeal. Even though Ornella Muti is the most prominent sex symbol to emerge out of Italian cinema in the 1970’s. Gloria Guida in many ways is on par with her popularity wise, at least in Italy. Some of Gloria Guida’s more notable films include, So Young, So Lovely, So Vicious…, The Teasers, To Be Twenty and Blue Jeans (in which she would re-team with director Mario Imperoli).

Director Mario Imperoli doesn’t waste a single chance to showcase his star Gloria Guida. Whether he has her running in slow motion on the beach or posing nude in front of the mirror where the camera like the men in the film fixates on Monika’s every move. Besides Gloria Guida’s superb performance as the naive Monika, other performances of note include Gianluigi Chirizzi (Burial Ground: The Nights of Terror) in the role of Monika’s boyfriend Leo as sleazy character who also has a side job as a pimp and Paolo Carlini in the role of Massimo Moroni (Yes Moroni, like the mobster from Batman), one of her fathers’ business partners. Ultimately Monika works as well as it does because of the strong presence of its star Gloria Guida.

Tender flesh.

Am I sexy enough?

Gloria Guida, like many Italian starlets from the 70's has somehow been a "hard to find" talent outside Europe. Finding her films in official releases (DVD, Blu-Ray, you name it) it's really hard for those not living in the old continent. As a matter of fact, my reviews of her films (along with Ornella Muti's) are all based on dated European releases (the VHS kind or bootleg DVDs) since the NTSC versus PAL rule still pisses some video players off, plus awful dubbing, awful out of synch subtitles and no more cult video rental stores, God! cut me some slack, will you?

Anyways, the pain described in the previous paragraph it's not La Ragazzina's case since it had its official American release around 2009.

Italian Beauty.

In a nutshell, if you've never seen Gloria Guida in action, she was one of the most ubiquitous of an incredible crop of Italian actresses who came of age in the 1970's Golden Era of Italian exploitation film (including Ornella Muti, Jenny Tamburi, Eleanora Giorgi, Lili Karati and dozens of others who would never get kicked out of bed for eating soda crackers). She kind of resembled a young Brigitte Bardot or Barbara Bouchet. And I don't think she ever met a film role she wasn't willing to take all her clothes off for. This is not a very good movie (and it might not be much better, and could even be worse, with subtitles), but god knows I've suffered through much worse movies for the sake of taking another gander at the gorgeous GG. 

Here's a public domain version for your viewing pleasure, courtesy of YouTube: