Concordia/Cineriz/Francinex/Gra. Director Vittorio De Sica, Federico Fellini, Luchino Visconti; Producer Carlo Ponti, Antonio Cervi; Screenplay Cesare Zavattini, Federico Fellini, Ennio Flaiano, Tullio Pinelli, Brunello Rondi, Goffredo Parise, Suso Cecchi D'Amico, Luchino Visconti; Camera Otello Martelli, Giuseppe Rotunno; Editor Adriana Novelli, Leo Cattozzo, Mario Serandrei; Music Armando Trovajoli (adapt.), Nino Rota; Art Director Elio Costanzi, Piero Zuffi, Mario Garbuglia
Sophia Loren
Luigi Giuliani
Anita Ekberg
Peppino De Filippo
Romy Schneider
Tomas Milian
Pic differs from most sketch items by the fact that each segment was separately conceived and executed, making episodes pocket-sized feature pix on their own. There's nothing pocket-sized about the production values, however, all three being expensively mounted and lavishly lensed in Technicolor.
First item, Federico Fellini's The Temptation of Dr Antonio (Le tentazioni del Dottor Antonio), is a searing, violent denunciation of hypocrisy with special attention to bigoted censorship. Episode deals with a Doctor Antonio (Peppino De Filippo) who is carrying on a one-man campaign against external expressions of love and sex. When a provocative poster of Anita Ekberg is set up facing his apartment, Antonio tries to fight one more battle against his concept of immorality. But he is defeated when the ebullient Ekberg comes to life and drives him berserk.
Second item, The Job (Il lavoro), provides a complete change of pace via Luchino Visconti's elegant styling of a modern boudoir piece, in which nuances of dialog and acting, as well as lush sets and color, help gain the total effect. In keeping with film's title, episode deals with young count (Tomas Milian) who's mixed up in a call girl scandal and fears his wife (Romy Schneider) will divorce him.
Act Three, The Raffle (La riffa), the most completely enjoyable of the lot, has Sophia Loren as the object of a raffle among visitors to a provincial fairground in northern Italy. The winner gets to sleep with her, and the money goes towards the dowry which will allow her marriage and an independent life. Vittorio De Sica tells the tale (which has a twist ending) with a brash and earthy humor aptly keyed to the provincial setting.
[Version reviewed is three-episode one shown outside Italy. Four-episode Italian version began with the De Sica episode and concluded with a seg by director Mario Monicelli, Renzo e Luciana/Renzo and Luciana.]
(Color) Available on VHS. Extract of a review from 1962. Running time: 159 MIN.
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