La Califfa (1970)
Directed by Alberto Bevilacqua
Drama / Romance
La Califfa (1970)
Film Review
Journalist and screenwriter Alberto Bevilacqua made his directorial debut with this curious mix of romance and social drama, adapted from a novel he wrote ten years earlier. It's a strange film - stylistically it feels like a mix of thriller and spaghetti western, which seems to be totally at variance with its content. Despite the alluring performances from Romy Schneider and Ugo Tognazzi, it's a very difficult film to engage with. It seems to want to embrace some big social themes - industrial strife in Italy in the early 1970s and feminism, to name just two - but there's no clear message and, ultimately, it feels rather empty, an exercise in style over substance.© James Travers 2007
The above content is owned by frenchfilms.org and must not be copied.
Film Synopsis
The workforce of a factory owned by the patriarchal boss Doberdo are on strike. During a police raid to break the strike, one of the workers is killed. The dead man's wife, La Califfa, confronts Doberdo several times. On each occasion, the factory owner and the widow feel strangely drawn to one another...© James Travers
The above content is owned by frenchfilms.org and must not be copied.
Similar Films
Here are some other films you may enjoy watching:- A Kind of Loving (1962)
- Et Dieu... créa la femme (1956)
- Mourir d'aimer (1971)
- Pretty Baby (1978)
- Die Marquise von O... (1976)
Other related links:
Film Credits
- Director: Alberto Bevilacqua
- Script: Alberto Bevilacqua (novel)
- Cinematographer: Roberto Gerardi
- Music: Ennio Morricone
- Cast: Romy Schneider (Irene Corsini detta 'La Califfa'), Ugo Tognazzi (Annibale Doberdò), Massimo Farinelli (Giampiero Doberdò figlio), Marina Berti (Clementine Doberdò), Guido Alberti (Il monsignore), Roberto Bisacco (Bisacco), Gigi Ballista (Il principe industriale), Massimo Serato (L'industriale fallito), Eva Brun (La moglie dell'industriale fallito), Luigi Casellato (Il questore), Ernesto Colli (Un operaio), Enzo Fiermonte (L'operaio sindacalista), Giancarlo Prete (L'amante di Irene), Gigi Reder (Il cameriere), Franco Ressel (Un industriale), Gianni Rizzo (Un industriale), Stefano Satta Flores (Un operaio), Amerigo Tot (Industrialist), Nerina Montagnani (La domestica dei Doberdò), Giuseppe Marrocco (Un industriale)
- Country: France / Italy
- Language: Italian
- Support: Color
- Runtime: 112 min
The very best period film dramas
The greatest French Films of all time
The very best French thrillers
