After his nightmarish experiences in the 70s with Salon Kitty and Caligula Brass decided simply to go his own way. He made the movies he wanted to make and he made them the way he wanted to make them. The movies he wanted to make were erotic movies and as a result he has never received the critical respect he deserves.
And of course critics in the English-speaking world find it impossible to comprehend that erotic movies can be real movies.
A pity, since Tinto Brass made fascinating intelligent perceptive erotic movies with some real emotional depth.
It is Venice in 1939. Nino Rolfe (Frank Finlay) is an art historian. He has been married to Teresa (Stefania Sandrelli) for twenty years. They have a daughter, Lisa (Barbara Cupisti). Lisa has a boyfriend, Laszlo (Franco Branciaroli).
Much to Nino’s dismay Teresa has always been sexually inhibited.
Nino keeps a diary, recording his sexual obsessions. He leaves the key where Teresa will find it. He wants her to read it, and she does.
Teresa begins keeping a diary as well. She wants Nino to read it, which he does.
There is adultery in this movie but what drives the plot is the thought of adultery. Nino knows that there is an attraction between Teresa and Laszlo. He imagines them together. The thought excites him. Teresa knows that this excites Nino and this in turn excites her.
Nino’s jealousy arouses him. This also in turn excites Teresa.
Nino takes nude photographs of Teresa while she sleeps and gets Laszlo to develop and print them. He makes sure that Teresa discovers the photographs.
Lisa knows that these things are going on. Nino, Teresa, Lisa and Laszlo are all complicit in a complex game of deceptions and betrayals and jealousies and suspicions. They are all to some extent willing participants in this game.
Nino earns extra money by issuing phoney authentications for fake paintings - another layer of deception.
Voyeurism is a vey obvious theme in this movie, made more obvious by Brass’s love of mirror shots and sometimes mirror shots within mirror shots. Everything is a reflection of a reflection of reality and maybe what seems to be the reality is a deception as well.
The reading of each other’s diaries by Nino and Teresa is another form of voyeurism.
It’s also a movie about fantasies, and about the way the things we imagine are more exciting than the things we see.
These are people who behave badly but they have their reasons. They are trying to understand their desires and their emotions. In the process people can get hurt but this is not a movie that sees sex as a destructive force. It also doesn’t present voyeurism as destructive.
This is a softcore movie but it goes way beyond anything you would get away with in an American softcore movie. It’s a movie for grown-ups. Tinto Brass made erotic movies that take human erotic desires seriously.
Brass’s movies are very Italian. He has a great love for Italian culture but he has always been relatively uninterested in the Rome of the Swinging 60s or the Milan of the decadent glamorous 80s. He loves the old Italy. This movie takes place just before the outbreak of the war, a war that would destroy the world as it then existed or at least transform it into something unrecognisable. This adds a touch of poignancy which is found in so many of his movies.
The Key is Brass in top form. Highly recommended. It looks great on Blu-Ray.
I’ve reviewed quite a few of his movies. Monella (1998) is my favourite but Miranda (1985) and The Voyeur (1994) are also highly recommended.
A pity, since Tinto Brass made fascinating intelligent perceptive erotic movies with some real emotional depth.
It is Venice in 1939. Nino Rolfe (Frank Finlay) is an art historian. He has been married to Teresa (Stefania Sandrelli) for twenty years. They have a daughter, Lisa (Barbara Cupisti). Lisa has a boyfriend, Laszlo (Franco Branciaroli).
Much to Nino’s dismay Teresa has always been sexually inhibited.
Nino keeps a diary, recording his sexual obsessions. He leaves the key where Teresa will find it. He wants her to read it, and she does.
Teresa begins keeping a diary as well. She wants Nino to read it, which he does.
There is adultery in this movie but what drives the plot is the thought of adultery. Nino knows that there is an attraction between Teresa and Laszlo. He imagines them together. The thought excites him. Teresa knows that this excites Nino and this in turn excites her.
Nino’s jealousy arouses him. This also in turn excites Teresa.
Nino takes nude photographs of Teresa while she sleeps and gets Laszlo to develop and print them. He makes sure that Teresa discovers the photographs.
Lisa knows that these things are going on. Nino, Teresa, Lisa and Laszlo are all complicit in a complex game of deceptions and betrayals and jealousies and suspicions. They are all to some extent willing participants in this game.
Nino earns extra money by issuing phoney authentications for fake paintings - another layer of deception.
Voyeurism is a vey obvious theme in this movie, made more obvious by Brass’s love of mirror shots and sometimes mirror shots within mirror shots. Everything is a reflection of a reflection of reality and maybe what seems to be the reality is a deception as well.
The reading of each other’s diaries by Nino and Teresa is another form of voyeurism.
It’s also a movie about fantasies, and about the way the things we imagine are more exciting than the things we see.
These are people who behave badly but they have their reasons. They are trying to understand their desires and their emotions. In the process people can get hurt but this is not a movie that sees sex as a destructive force. It also doesn’t present voyeurism as destructive.
This is a softcore movie but it goes way beyond anything you would get away with in an American softcore movie. It’s a movie for grown-ups. Tinto Brass made erotic movies that take human erotic desires seriously.
Brass’s movies are very Italian. He has a great love for Italian culture but he has always been relatively uninterested in the Rome of the Swinging 60s or the Milan of the decadent glamorous 80s. He loves the old Italy. This movie takes place just before the outbreak of the war, a war that would destroy the world as it then existed or at least transform it into something unrecognisable. This adds a touch of poignancy which is found in so many of his movies.
The Key is Brass in top form. Highly recommended. It looks great on Blu-Ray.
I’ve reviewed quite a few of his movies. Monella (1998) is my favourite but Miranda (1985) and The Voyeur (1994) are also highly recommended.