This was the debut
project for Ornella Muti for which she won the Italian 1970 Golden Goblets
Award for Best New Actress. The film is based on the true story of Franca
Viola and Filippo Melodia. In Sicily, as a Mafia boss leaves for prison,
he advises his young potential successor named Vito to marry a virtuous
and poor woman. Vito soon sees such a girl, 15 year old Francesca. Despite
coming from a poor family, she has a high self-worth and the ability to
use clear, forthright language. She falls in love with Vito but is determined
not to be his slave. Believing he has 'lost face,' Vito instructs his
henchmen to kidnap and rape her. After the assault, he says that he'll
still marry her even though she is now 'damaged.' Instead, Francesca files
charges against him which threatens to destroy his Mafia organization.
Popular cult director
Damiano Damiani helmed 45+ films before retiring in 2001. He is known
for getting top-quality performances from young actresses as he did with
Catherine Spaak and Florinda Bolkan in A
RATHER COMPLICATED GIRL and - of course - from Ornella Muti in
this award-winning performance. Mr Damiani died a age 90 in March 2013.
Miss Ornella Muti
would go on to make another 100+ movies (she is still active today) including
Umberto Lenzi's DIRTY
PICTURES and Juan Luis Buñuel's medieval witch film LEONOR,
but she probably has never been better than in Pasquale Festa Campanile's
GIRL
FROM TRIESTE.
An
Italian film in English language; widescreen format (16:9), uncut (108
minutes), DVD encoded for ALL REGION NTSC WORLD FORMAT; extras include
original theatrical trailer.
Violence/Rape/Sexual
Brutality
recommended for Mature Audiences
