Appassionata

Ornella Muti may not have the international fame of a Bond girl, but to a generation of pubescent film geeks her role in 1980's Flash Gordon as the seductive and duplicitous Princess Aura, daughter of Ming the Merciless, is just as iconic as Ursula Andress' bikini entrance in Dr. No. Muti didn't even have to show any skin, she simply slinked her way across the screen with as much sensuality as the PG rating allowed. In a film full of comic book camp and general ridiculousness, she was the most captivatingly "real" thing on the screen.

Why am I lavishing so much attention on one actress' supporting role in a corny sci-fi adaptation? Because that will be the easiest port of entry for most people to appreciate Appassionata, a 1974 Italian drama focusing on a broken family unit that threatens to implode when its patriarch has an affair with one of his daughter's school-age friends.

Emilio (Gabriele Ferzetti) splits his time between his dental practice and caring for his mentally ill wife, Elisa (Valentina Cortese) while fending off the burgeoning sexuality of his mean-spirited daughter, Eugenia Rutelli (Muti). Eugenia's friend, Nicola (Eleonora Giorgi), seduces her father after feigning a reaction to local anesthetic during a dental appointment, an affair they both keep secret but continue on the sly. As the secrets begin to pile-up, the family seems to be headed for a disastrous turning point that's been a long time coming.

Appassionata isn't an easy export. Waffling somewhere between art and exploitation, director Gianluigi Calderone's film is a dark, incestuous and (on the surface) misogynistic middle-age fantasy. But its female characters use sex as a weapon, manipulating situations for effect or just their own amusement. And Emilio winds up as a pathetic victim of his own male urges, while the new generation of females that surround him - uninterested in his romantic compromises of love and marriage - walk away unscathed.

Muti has the most challenging role in the film since she's positioned as its most unlikable character. Cold, cruel and viciously jealous of any attention spent on her mother, Eugenia is committed to sabotaging the lives of everyone around her. This desperate need for attention even leads to her competing (or perhaps conspiring?) with Nicola to share in a sexual relationship with her own father. Muti, who was only 19 at the time, uses her body with the confidence of a much older actress, expertly portraying equal amounts of sexual confidence and naivety.

The rest of the cast has their work cut out for them as well. But the film gives them subtly powerful backstories that bleed into the performances, making the end result more tragic than titillating. 1999's American Beauty co-opted much of the same plot for an Americanized version of a tragic mid-life crisis, but even that Oscar winner didn't take things this far. Kudos to Twilight Time for taking a chance on an Italian film that doesn't feature a black-gloved killer or dusty six-gun showdown.

The 3000-copy limited edition Blu-ray looks very good and includes an isolated score track plus essential liner notes from regular contributor Julie Kirgo...although Flash Gordon doesn't even get a mention, what's up with that?!