i think it is interesting to know the biography of the Italian artist who directed this movie "piccole labbra". Mimmo(Domenico) Cattarinich was born in Rome and since 39 years his study overlooks largo Federico Fellini (nearby Veneto street in Rome). He is one of the historical leaders of the Italian photography. As photographer his history begins in the half of the fifties in the Dino De Laurentis film studios. At seventeen years old he interrupted the studies of accounting to follow the great myth of the cinema from near. He began to work as assistant of dark room and subsequently as photographer of scene, with different directors like:Mario Bava,Blasetti,Bolognini,Lizzani, Sergio Leone, Pasolini,Antonioni Fellini,Almodovar,Benigni and others more. "Piccole Labbra" (Little Lips) is his only movie as director.
5 Reviews
A Horrible Attempt At Showing Us Meaningful Forbidden Love
Brakathor28 May 2008
Warning: Spoilers
No one else has left a comment, and I feel compelled to do so, as this is really not a very good movie. Above all it is a movie that is explicitly trying to sexualize a child even moreso than in "Maladolescensa" because here it is done in a very forced way. It is about a soldier who arrives home after the war and who dreams of women, but contemplates suicide for a reason the viewer is not sure of it seems. It could be from the horrors of war, for a love he lost, but as we later find out in a very anticlimactic manner, he suffered from a groin injury that left him unable to have sex.
I have never taken any Italian classes in my life, and thus have a limited knowledge of the language, but in this film the dialogue is so poor and trite that I was able to understand most of what was being said, which should tell you a lot. The important thing about this, is that there is no meaningful dialogue between the ex soldier and the young girl at the heart of the romantic friction.
Here are some plot points that I felt further ruined the film. Firstly, he arrives in this home and he stays here for 2 nights and still has no idea that there is a young girl in the house. Her aunt and uncle did not tell him, so where did she eat dinner? Not with the rest of them? she made no noise around the house? I can see the director was trying to keep her as mysterious but in the end it's simply foolish, adds little to the film and mostly it doesn't make sense. Finally he runs into her multiple times, but she returns no dialogue to him. Soon after, he goes to the edge of a far off cliff clearly contemplating suicide, when suddenly out of nowhere she appears behind him and pulls him away from the cliff. Why would she even be there in the first place I ask myself. Nonetheless this would have been the perfect time for some meaningful dialogue, but as they undergo the long walk back to the house they don't say a word to each other, which made even less sense. Indeed they did not talk as she still runs from him the next time she sees him inexplicably. She finally begins to speak after about 40 minutes of the film have passed but before this point I was saying to myself "oh she must be deaf and dumb; that has to be it."
Despite a horrible romance story, that is never able to create meaning or sincerity in its initially perverted subject of a man who is off cavorting around with a 11 year old girl and her aunt and uncle are nowhere around, the final degradation of the whole story is the ending itself which turns into a similar game as in the film "lolita" between Humbert Humbert and Clare Quilty, while in this film it is much more subdued conflict between the ex soldier and the street performer that Eve befriends. Neither of them are true paedophiles, though still there is a strong sexual element. When the soldier returns back from a trip, he goes rushing around the house to find her but she is not there, then he goes about the property, sees Eve and the street performer. To me this seemed very stagey. Finally the movie ends in tragedy. To me this film was a very weak romantic study, with stagey plot development, and horrible dialogue. I cannot recommend this film at all to anyone, unless you have a romantic interest for young girls, because the one thing this movie does do, is make full use of the young girl's body. It is not the subject that makes this a horrible film, but it is everything about the way it was conceived and put together.
I have never taken any Italian classes in my life, and thus have a limited knowledge of the language, but in this film the dialogue is so poor and trite that I was able to understand most of what was being said, which should tell you a lot. The important thing about this, is that there is no meaningful dialogue between the ex soldier and the young girl at the heart of the romantic friction.
Here are some plot points that I felt further ruined the film. Firstly, he arrives in this home and he stays here for 2 nights and still has no idea that there is a young girl in the house. Her aunt and uncle did not tell him, so where did she eat dinner? Not with the rest of them? she made no noise around the house? I can see the director was trying to keep her as mysterious but in the end it's simply foolish, adds little to the film and mostly it doesn't make sense. Finally he runs into her multiple times, but she returns no dialogue to him. Soon after, he goes to the edge of a far off cliff clearly contemplating suicide, when suddenly out of nowhere she appears behind him and pulls him away from the cliff. Why would she even be there in the first place I ask myself. Nonetheless this would have been the perfect time for some meaningful dialogue, but as they undergo the long walk back to the house they don't say a word to each other, which made even less sense. Indeed they did not talk as she still runs from him the next time she sees him inexplicably. She finally begins to speak after about 40 minutes of the film have passed but before this point I was saying to myself "oh she must be deaf and dumb; that has to be it."
Despite a horrible romance story, that is never able to create meaning or sincerity in its initially perverted subject of a man who is off cavorting around with a 11 year old girl and her aunt and uncle are nowhere around, the final degradation of the whole story is the ending itself which turns into a similar game as in the film "lolita" between Humbert Humbert and Clare Quilty, while in this film it is much more subdued conflict between the ex soldier and the street performer that Eve befriends. Neither of them are true paedophiles, though still there is a strong sexual element. When the soldier returns back from a trip, he goes rushing around the house to find her but she is not there, then he goes about the property, sees Eve and the street performer. To me this seemed very stagey. Finally the movie ends in tragedy. To me this film was a very weak romantic study, with stagey plot development, and horrible dialogue. I cannot recommend this film at all to anyone, unless you have a romantic interest for young girls, because the one thing this movie does do, is make full use of the young girl's body. It is not the subject that makes this a horrible film, but it is everything about the way it was conceived and put together.
a time and far away place
herrhecker13 June 2008
There was a time when one's age played less a role in relationships than our current society demands today. It was very common 2 generations ago for women of 13 years old to give birth - especially at a time of, or after war. This film shows how love can develop during such a time and provides an example of unrestricted affection. The French artist who directed this film did not feel an obligation to be sensitive to the feelings of USA viewers, so don't be swayed by the moralistic outrage these people feel obligated to spew. Watch the movie and decide for yourself. While doing so, ask yourself how WAR and VIOLENCE could have ever gained such universal and unquestioning acceptance in our current society than LOVE and SEX -- regardless the form. Which is more obscene ?
Not a movie for everyone.
zzzorf30 July 2016
This movie is not suitable for everyone. If you have strong morals than it may be good for you to skip over this movie. If however you are able to keep and open mind about most things than you may possibly enjoy this movie as much as I did.
The best way I can explain this movie is Lolita but with no censorship on the scenes in which makes the male figure fall for the young girl. The story is way different of course but the similarities are there.
If I have a complaint it would be of the acting but then that could be more due to the age of the film, thus being a different style to what it is now.
In the end this is definitely a movie I will come back to down the track. The story was enough to keep me intrigued and did not go the way I expected so gave me a nice surprise in that regard.
I was lucky in the fact that the copy I watched was English dubbed that even though reading subtitles would have been fine it made the movie more enjoyable in that aspect. Hope everyone else is as lucky.
The best way I can explain this movie is Lolita but with no censorship on the scenes in which makes the male figure fall for the young girl. The story is way different of course but the similarities are there.
If I have a complaint it would be of the acting but then that could be more due to the age of the film, thus being a different style to what it is now.
In the end this is definitely a movie I will come back to down the track. The story was enough to keep me intrigued and did not go the way I expected so gave me a nice surprise in that regard.
I was lucky in the fact that the copy I watched was English dubbed that even though reading subtitles would have been fine it made the movie more enjoyable in that aspect. Hope everyone else is as lucky.
A film about forbidden love That as an illusion comes to a fatal end
nestlerenrico29 January 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I watched this movie (rented in videoteque) in 1991
Some scenes are quite graphic with an erotic touch.
But the main-point of the story is about this man that was broken by the ritual sacrifice (war) and in touch with this beautiful flower (living body) he could reconnect to life again.
He was not able for an intercourse with her and thus lost her to another man that had no problems with satisfying her developing needs of reproduction.
Thus he was already too soft for her age and did the fatal shot.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
