BBB.5
(out of 5)
Isabelle Huppert plays Piera, a young woman who grows up under the parentage of two extremely original overseers: both her mother (Hanna Schygulla) and father (Marcello Mastroianni) have incestuous relations with her before they are committed to insane asylums. Based on a semi-autobiographical synopsis by actress Piera Degli Esposti, the film focuses mainly on Piera’s viewpoint of her mother as she watches her navigate the world with both her charismatic charm and her damaged sense of sexual freedom. Oddly enough, the film features postcard-pretty images that recall innocent memories, but, of course, they’re just dressed that way. Huppert has the thankless, mild role here, while Schygulla shines as the fiery matriarch whose indulgence of passion leads her straight to the loony bin.
Faso Film, Sara Films, Ascot Film
Italy/France/West Germany, 1983
Directed by Marco Ferreri
Story and Screenplay by Marco Ferreri, Piera Degli Esposti, Dacia Maraini, based on the book by Piera Degli Esposti, Dacia Maraini
Cinematography by Ennio Guarnieri
Produced by Erwin C. Dietrich, Achille Manzotti
Music by Philippe Sarde
Production Design by Lorenzo Baraldi, Luciana Levi
Costume Design by Nicoletta Ercole
Film Editing by Ruggero Mastroianni
