Adapted from the novel by Ercole Patti, this is an unusually serious film by Dino Risi without his customary satirical bite but well worth watching nonetheless.
American actor Peter Baldwin plays Marcello, a handsome, intelligent man who has great success with women. He dumps temperamental Fulvia, played by Elsa Martinelli and takes up with the tantalising Anna of Mylene Demongeot with whom he becomes besotted. Eventually driven to distraction by her amorality and infidelity he finds the strength to leave her and has a genuine chance of happiness with lovely Eleanora, played by Maria Perschy but trouble is just around the corner......
In lesser hands this could easily be a tacky melodrama but Risi's expert direction of his cast sustains our interest so that the fates of the principals concern us. At the end one senses that Fulvia and Eleanora will fare much better than Anna and Marcello both of whose futures look pretty bleak.
Excellent cinematography by Mario Montuori and lovely score by Carlo Rustichelli.
This is undoubtedly Baldwin's finest hour before finding success as a TV director while the three leading actresses are excellent, especially Demongeot who has the meatiest role and plays it to the full. Elsa and Maria are no longer with us but Mylene is still working.
There is a priceless cameo by Vittorio de Sica as the director of a sword and sandals movie. Although this should strictly be in the 'trivia' section one cannot help mentioning that Baldwin was to become for a few years de Sica's son-in-law.
This film cannot fail to strike a chord with those of us who have developed a passion for someone which brings fleeting pleasure but endless pain.
