The dictionary defines caprice as "change of humour or opinion without reason". It can also mean going with the flow and in a broader sense, naughty. Bruno Mattei's (under the pseudonym Vincent Dawn) Capriccio Veneziano is about a woman who is lured into a life of seeing things and doing things that she would not in all probability choose for herself. The theme of capriciousness was best explored in Sliding Doors but in this film it is the participant who must recognise the path she is being lead down and make the changes.
Roberta, (Emily Crawford) arrives in Venice to take up a music teaching post. While out shopping, she meets Lorenzo (Gualberto Parmeggiani) who, we learn early on is an artist with very much a hands-on approach to his subject. Lorenzo inveigles himself into Roberta's life and soon he is leading her into the seedier sides of Venice and his own philandering existence. Lorenzo encourages Roberta to try different things such as an orgy in a night club and to dress up as gay men in order to goad a couple of gondoliers into a fight. She gets to see Lorenzo at work and she realises what is happening but it is she who must choose whether to go with the flow or break away.
It is difficult to work up any enthusiasm for this film. The cast in this film will probably never win any acting awards. Mr Parmeggiani looks more like a body builder than an artist and Ms Crawford goes through her scenes with hardly a hint of emotion on her face. She looks good naked though, as do the other women. Also looking good is Venice where the film was shot, so that scores a point or two. The film looks to have been shot on videotape and this gives a rather cheap look to the production.
The DVD reviewed here is from Russia. The audio is English with Russian dubbed over it but the Russian audio can be switched off from the menu. One obvious fault is that the English audio track is out of synchronisation with the video by one or two seconds. The DVD cover states that the aspect ratio is 4:3 but it is actually close to 1.78:1. The bad points in this production far outnumber the good so only 2 stars.
