Kidnapping in Sardinia: Atmospheric kidnapping shocker with Franco Nero and Charlotte Rampling
The young foreign student Christina Fisher (Charlotte Rampling) is with her boyfriend Francesco Marras (Pierluigi Apra) for the first time on his home island of Sardinia. They want to go on vacation and visit Francesco's parents (Margarita Lozano and Ennio Balbo). Suddenly Francesco is kidnapped by bandits in front of Christina. She wants to inform the police immediately, but is dissuaded from doing so by Francesco's parents and his childhood friend Gavino (Franco Nero). The kidnappers want such a large ransom that Signore Marras is forced to sell a sought-after seaside property to real estate shark Osilio (Frank Wolff). In the end, maybe that's all it's about? When Christina finally informs the police, things come to a dramatic head. But Gavino also has a score to settle with the island's powerful...
Shot in the blazing Sardinian sun, this film by Gianfranco Mingozzi still makes you shiver. It was released in Italian cinemas in 1968 and is therefore a forerunner of the great wave of mafia films from 1972 onwards. It was not shown in West German cinemas until 1973. Atmospherically dense, the word mafia isn't mentioned once! The islanders seem to know exactly what to do in a disaster like this. They don't seem to know any different. Scary and fascinating!
In a supporting role is Steffen Zacharias (1927-1989), who was born in Hamburg to Greek parents and who would appear in a number of Cinecitta productions in the following years. For the two-time EUROPEAN FILM AWARD winner (Swimming Pool, 2003 / 45 Years, 2015) Charlotte Rampling (*1946) this film was one of her first leading roles.
Recommended!
