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IMDbPro

Diario di una vergine romana

  • 1973
  • 1h 15m
IMDb RATING
4.4/10
36
YOUR RATING
Diario di una vergine romana (1973)
DramaHistory

The rise to power of a prostitute in ancient Rome.The rise to power of a prostitute in ancient Rome.The rise to power of a prostitute in ancient Rome.

  • Director
    • Joe D'Amato
  • Writer
    • Joe D'Amato
  • Stars
    • Lucretia Love
    • Linda Sini
    • Attilio Dottesio
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    4.4/10
    36
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Joe D'Amato
    • Writer
      • Joe D'Amato
    • Stars
      • Lucretia Love
      • Linda Sini
      • Attilio Dottesio
    • 2User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos1

    View Poster

    Top cast15

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    Lucretia Love
    Lucretia Love
    • Livia
    Linda Sini
    Linda Sini
    • Lucilla
    Attilio Dottesio
    Attilio Dottesio
    • Lucius
    Edmondo Tieghi
    • Conspirator
    Stefano Spitoni
    Danilo Mattei
    Danilo Mattei
      Antonio Casale
      Antonio Casale
      • Caio Tullio
      Emanuele Seguino
      Luigi Antonio Guerra
      Domenico Maggio
      Nello Pazzafini
      Nello Pazzafini
      • Gong Player
      • (uncredited)
      Mimmo Poli
      Mimmo Poli
      • Livia Fat Customer
      • (uncredited)
      Pietro Torrisi
      Pietro Torrisi
      • Gladiator
      • (uncredited)
      Isabella Zanussi
      • Arena Spectator
      • (uncredited)
      Luciano Zanussi
      • Viewer in Colosseo
      • (uncredited)
      • Director
        • Joe D'Amato
      • Writer
        • Joe D'Amato
      • All cast & crew
      • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

      User reviews2

      4.436
      1
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      10

      Featured reviews

      6feministafanatico

      D'Amato's obscure peplum

      Before giving my impressions on this ultra rare film, it is necessary to correct an error I saw being said in some reviews on the web. Although the (later generated) opening credits end with a "Regia di Joe D'Amato", the film was really signed with the alias "Michael Wotruba", as attested by all the posters from the period. The same alias would be used for the following "Pugni, Pirate E Karatè", while the legendary "Joe D'Amato" pseudonym would be used for the first time in "Giubbe Rosse" (1974). Probably, whoever discovered a print of the film here reviewed, which spent years in a limbo, concluded that inserting the most famous aka of Aristide Massaccesi would attract more attention.

      "Diario Di Una Vergine Romana" was shot in early 1973, more or less in the same period in which Massaccesi was photographing, and directing second unit, for "The Arena" (Steve Carver, 1973). It is not a coincidence that both productions have Lucretia Love in cast. Not approved by the censor commission, the film would be receive the "nulla osta" only in 1978, with the new title "Livia, Una Vergine Per L'Impero". Well, both titles are ridiculous, as the character played by Lucretia is not a virgin (at least, this is not mentioned in the script).

      In the plot, Livia (Lucretia Love), a young and beautiful woman, loses her mother and younger brother due a natural disaster (provided by copious use of stock footage from an old peplum!). A mature lady called Licinia (Linda Sini), who also lost her family in the tragedy, invites Livia to go with her to Rome. There, our protagonist works as a prostitute, but will use all her charms to achieve a high social position in the Roman Empire.

      Unfortunately, with a meagre running time of 75 minutes, and circa 20 of which filled with truncated stock footage, there is not enough time to develop the plot, and abrupt ellipsis are used to push the story forward. At the same time, the stolen footage last too long, causing a lot of tedium. All this is a shame, because Lucretia Love is a wonderful protagonist and it is lamentable that she never played a Roman empress in a more ambitious project.

      Although he had already shot the masterpiece "La Morte Ha Sorriso All'Assassino", it is very clear that here, and in his subsequent directing job, D'Amato wasn't taking the job seriously. Even so, his great talent as a photographer can be appreciated in a couple of very well shot erotic scenes, graced with a poetic atmosphere, and some brief gore details elevate the level of fun.

      If you are a fan of palatial intrigues set in the Rome Empire, "Diario Di Una Vergine Romana" will be mortally disappointing, but if you are a D'Amato completist or a fan of Lucretia Love (I am both), the film is worth it.

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      Related interests

      Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
      Drama
      Liam Neeson in Schindler's List (1993)
      History

      Storyline

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      Did you know

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      • Connections
        Edited from The Last Days of Pompeii (1959)

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      Details

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      • Release date
        • 1973 (Italy)
      • Country of origin
        • Italy
      • Language
        • Italian
      • Also known as
        • Diary of a Roman Virgin
      • Production companies
        • 1 Aprile Cinematografica
        • Galassia Cinematografica
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Tech specs

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      • Runtime
        • 1h 15m(75 min)
      • Sound mix
        • Mono

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