Wifemistress

My husband and I saw this movie when it was first released in the US, and we loved it. Through the years, however, we forgot the title and the actors' names. When we later discussed the movie and wanted to own it, we couldn't find it! It took us a long time to figure out who was in the movie and then, consequently, the title. It's such a memorable film, and the depictions of the changing emotions of the actors are priceless. The unfolding of the woman back to a normal life is marvelous to behold, as is the utter frustration of her husband, watching her bloom from across the street. I highly recommend Wifemistress. And I agree: when is this film going to come out on DVD?????????????????

I too was thrilled to discover this gem. The voyeurism, Laura's innocent eroticism so obvious in Malizia comes through and is just right for a story of sexual awakening. The idea of a woman following her husband's sexual escapades and taking revenge by initiating her own shows that a woman's liberation from the morays of her time was possible even in the 19th Century.

The use of Albinioni's Adagio is very appropriate as it imparts a sadness and languorous aura that fits the story particularly Marcello's longing and resignation. This how you make an erotic film that tops the soft porno of the Emmanuelle series.

This was a terrific Italian film I saw several years ago and loved. It's about a jerk of a husband (Mastriani) who is a traveling salesman who is unfaithful to his long-suffering wife. He blames her for being "frigid" but it's just an excuse to run around on her when he's also out drumming up business. Well, through unusual circumstances, he fakes his own death to avoid being prosecuted for murder. The wife, previously a sickly invalid, forces herself out of the home to take over his job. At first, it's tough, but over time she's able to become quite successful. So much so, that the husband, who's hiding in an abandoned room across the street starts to regret his being in hiding--and for taking this vivacious woman for granted!! Well, where the movie goes from there is something you'll need to see for yourself. The film is very intelligently written and the acting is terrific--see this and see how good some of the non-Hollywood films can be.

It's been decades since I've seen this. I watched it several times in the 80s as I would insist on friends seeing it. SO beautiful. Not just Antonelli who is a remarkable creature, but even the carriage she travels in-all details exquisite! Wonderful story.

Like the other reviewer, can't imagine how or why this movie is not a classic always available!

If you foreign movie buffs have not seen this one, rent it immediately. It is amazingly well done, definitely memorable, and it's hard to believe that I am only the third person to comment. A young "frail" married girl who is loved but protected by those around her discovers herself and her passionate nature upon the disappearance of her husband. Determined to discover what happened to her husband she sets off in his horse and buggy to cover his route. Luckily for her, the horse is well versed in the stops her husband made along the way. Unwittingly she learns about her husband's many sensual encounters and finds that the knowledge is causing her own passionate nature to stir. As her paradigm shifts, she opens her arms to new experiences, each one taking her a closer step toward womanhood and a full understanding of what a man and woman can mean to each other. Wait! That's just one story in this film. The overlying story is about the husband who has gone into hiding immediately across the street from his own home and desperately watches his wife's transformation from the slats of a boarded window. The story is well weaved together and it is beautiful to watch. The cobblestone roads, the clothing, the landscape, the church and just about everything in this movie makes it a masterpiece. There is even a side storyline that has a bit of shock value - you will know it when you see it! Go see this film and then come back and tell me what you thought!