Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Le bambole (Bambole, 1965)



Directors: Mauro Bolognini, Luigi Comencini, Dino Risi, Franco Rossi
Starring: Gina Lollobrigida, Elke Sommer, Virna Lisi, Monica Vitti
Label:  Sony Pictures (2006)
Format: DVD / PAL / Region 2
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 b/w
Audio: Italian, English (Dolby Digital 1.0 mono)
Subtitles: English, Italian

Available on Amazon.it

What's the film about?
In the mid '60s, Italian cinema faced a change in audience attitudes, reflecting the evolution of Italian society (especially the shift toward urbanization). As a response, Italian filmmakers created new genres (sexy comedy, spaghetti western, spy story) and adopted new technical process (zoom, color, Techniscope), also exploring modernity-oriented themes (pop culture, youth protest, sexual revolution). The omnibus film, consisting of various segments by various directors, thus became a very popular genre, also because it allowed filmmakers to experiment different styles. Bambole is a typical example of this trend, showcasing four popular female stars, each one directed by a talented director. While Risi and Comencini's sketches are quite lame, episodes by Rossi and Bolognini are still enjoyable in their own way: The Soup (starring Monica Vitti) is a black comedy set in a low-class district of Rome; Monsigor Cupid (starring Gina Lollobrigida and inspired by Boccaccio) features a rare portrait of female lust, very unusual in comedy Italian style. The DVD also provides an English dubbing, but subtitles are to be preferred.
Recommendations
...if you don't want to miss a rare Italian comedy centered on female charachters.

Screenshots
Virna Lisi

Monica Vitti

Gina Lollobrigida