The Story of Belle Starr with Elsa Martinelli and George Eastman
This spaghetti western was directed by the recently deceased honorary ACADEMY AWARD winner (she received it in Los Angeles in 2019) Lina Wertmüller (1928-2021). When the film was released in West German cinemas in October 1968, Lina Wertmüller, who was the first woman to be nominated for a directing Oscar in 1977 (for "Seven Beauties"), was still hiding behind a male pseudonym. Fortunately, those times are over.
It tells the story of the gunslinger Belle Starr (Elsa Martinelli), who, after starting out as the good officer's daughter Mirabell Shelley - spurred on by injustice towards women - develops into a cunning master marksman. The focus is on the checkered relationship between the heroine and a rancid gunfighter named Blacky (George Eastman). In flashbacks you see a lot about the protagonist's past life and also learn how she was influenced by her father (Vladimir Medar), her childhood friend Cole Harvey (Robert Woods, *1936) and the housemaid Jessica (Francesca Righini).
Typical elements of a spaghetti western include hearty fights and wild shootings. But all from the perspective of a woman who is absolutely at the center of the plot! The enchanting Elsa Martinelli (1935-2017) credibly gives this character her star power, which she has steeled in Hollywood (see "Hatari"). Martinelli also performs the song "No Time for Love".
The German dubbing is smarmy and snarky (the German title of the film also fits this) as always, which is also true for the love and verbal battles between Belle Starr and her tall lover (Luigi Montefiori (George Eastman), who was born in Genoa in 1942). Fits. In Italian or English, however, the plot comes across a bit more serious, which is probably more in line with the director's intention. At least 188,000 tickets were sold at the box office in West Germany (distributed by Neue Constantin) (source: InsideKino).
Good spaghetti western that is particularly interesting from a film perspective, as Lina Wertmüller remained the only female director in the spaghetti western genre. And the phenomenal Cinecitta diva Elsa Martinelli is always worth a look because she can convince in every role.
