The Witches (1967)

Five short stories loosely dealing with the roles of women in society.

Directors:

Mauro Bolognini, Vittorio De Sica

Writers:

Giuseppe Patroni Griffi (story and screenplay), Cesare Zavattini (collaboration)

Stars:

Silvana Mangano, Annie Girardot, Francisco Rabal

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Silvana Mangano	...	Gloria (segment "Strega Bruciata viva, La") / Lady in a hurry (segment "Senso civico") / Assurdina Caì (segment "Terra vista dalla luna, La") / Nunzia (segment "Siciliana, La") / Giovanna (segment "Sera come le altre, Una")
Annie Girardot	...	Valeria (segment "Strega Bruciata Viva, La")
Francisco Rabal	...	Paolo (Segment "Strega Bruciata Viva, La")
Massimo Girotti	...	Sportsman (segment "Strega Bruciata Viva, La")
Véronique Vendell	...	Young Girl Friend (segment "Strega Bruciata Viva, La")
Elsa Albani	...	Gossip (segment "Strega Bruciata Viva, La")
Clara Calamai	...	Ex-actress (segment "Strega Bruciata Viva, La")
Marilù Tolo	...	Waitress (segment "Strega Bruciata Viva, La")
Nora Ricci	...	Gloria's secretary (segment "Strega Bruciata Viva, La")
Dino Mele	...	Dino, the waiter (segment "Strega Bruciata Viva, La")
Helmut Berger	...	Hotel Page (segment "La Strega Bruciata Viva") (as Helmut Steinbergher)
Bruno Filippini	...	Singer (segment "Strega Bruciata Viva, La")
Leslie French	...	Industrialist (segment "Strega Bruciata Viva, La")
Alberto Sordi	...	Elio Ferocci (segment "Senso Civico")
Totò	...	Ciancicato Miao (segment "La terra vista dalla luna")

Storyline

Five short stories loosely dealing with the roles of women in society. A superstar actress travels to a mountain resort, only to evoke jealousy from women and lust from men. A woman offers to take an injured man to the hospital. A widowed father and his son seek for a new wife/mother. A man seeks revenge for a woman's honor. A bored housewife tries to explain to her husband that he's not as romantic as he used to be.

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Plot Keywords:

dream | nightgown | lust | suicide by shooting oneself in the head | woman wearing glasses | 

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Taglines:

Woman as she is...all things to men!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Italy France

Language:

Italian English

Release Date:

12 March 1969 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Witches

Filming Locations:

Dino De Laurentiis Cinematografica Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica, Les Productions Artistes Associés

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Sound Recording)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Reputedly the reason Clint Eastwood took the Ferrari as part of his payment was that his agent wouldn't be able to get 10% of the car!

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Quotes

Industrialist: I make a perfume. But I can't make it any better or it would destabilise the market.

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Connections

Referenced in Visconti (1967)

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Soundtracks

Cha Cha Beat
Written and Performed by Piero Piccioni E La Sua Orchestra

User Reviews

re: Pasolini segment

I once caught 15 minutes on Italian tv of Pasolini's contribution and was completely fascinated by it. Having now also seen his film "Uccellacci e uccellini," made the same year as "Le Streghe" and in much the same absurdist style, I understand even more fully the political commentary being made in both films. The social and political commentary in Pasolini's work is delivered obliquely and with great humor but is nonetheless vital to an understanding of both the style and content of his films. Even after having lived in Italy for some time, speaking the language fluently and learning as much as I could about the complicated political events of the fifties, sixties and seventies, I am aware that as a foreigner I am still at a disadvantage to fully "getting" the point that's being made in these two films. I would think it would be nearly impossible to find them anything other than strange and disconnected without some familiarity with the Italian political milieu of that period. However, that said, I think the beauty of the stylization - successfully realized and united on every level, design, costumes, cinematography and most particularly, acting - works irregardless and is entertaining in and of itself. It's especially interesting to see a comic performer as beloved and mainstream as Toto was at that time, so willingly and completely giving himself over to a director as completely experimental and also so controversial in an extremely volatile political climate as was Pasolini. My only negative comment about "Le streghe" is that I wish it weren't so impossible to get hold of as I would love to see this very beautiful film in its entirety.