A Quiet Place in the Country (1968)

An accomplished painter rents a dilapidated villa in the country, and soon finds himself absorbed in the property's history, particularly the murder of a sex-obsessed countess who died there decades prior.

Director:

Elio Petri

Writers:

Tonino Guerra (story), Elio Petri (story)

Stars:

Franco Nero, Vanessa Redgrave, Georges Géret

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Franco Nero	...	Leonardo Ferri
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Flavia
Georges Géret	...	Attilio (as Georges Geret)
Gabriella Boccardo	...	Wanda (as Gabriella Grimaldi)
Madeleine Damien	...	Wanda's Mother
Valerio Ruggeri
Rita Calderoni	...	Egle
Renato Menegotto	...	Egle's Friend
Arnaldo Momo	...	Villager
Sara Momo	...	Villager
Otello Cazzola	...	Villager
Constantino De Luca	...	Villager
Marino Bagiola	...	Villager
Piero De Franceschi	...	Villager
Camillo Besenzon	...	Villager

Storyline

Renowned painter Leonardo Ferri, whose works have a standard price set by the market, and his girlfriend Flavia live together in his studio in Milan. He has not completed any paintings in two months as he slowly goes mad. His mental issues, about which Flavia is aware, includes a recurring dream where she is torturing him before attempting to kill him. As such, Flavia makes arrangements for them to rent a country villa outside of Venice where the change in scenery may recharge his creative juices. Because she can feel negative energy toward her at the villa, Flavia decides to spend her weekdays in Milan, visiting on the weekends, leaving Leonardo alone at the villa during week with only the housekeeper, Egle. Still haunted by his mental problems, Leonardo tries but is unable to restart his work. During this time alone, he learns of Vanda Valier, a previous occupant of the villa who was killed outside the villa walls during the war at age fifteen. Many of the locals still have their ...

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Plot Keywords:

pantyhose | nude pantyhose | female stockinged legs | female stockinged feet | camera shot of feet | 

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Taglines:

in a quiet place she strips away the structure of his mind and body ...piece by piece.

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Genres:

Drama | Horror

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Elio Petri wanted Jack Nicholson for the role of Leonardo Ferri, but he was unavailable.

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Quotes

Leonardo Ferri: I don't know what's happened to me! I've got to get away!

User Reviews

'a quiet pace in the country' (1969) is a skillfully wrought, eerie treatise on madness'

The canny on-screen pairing of Vanessa Redgrave & Franco 'Django' Nero generates some considerable frisson in this taut, atmospheric Italian chiller. This enigmatic, surreal giallo is an unwarranted sleeper since 'a quiet pace in the country' (1969) is a skillfully wrought, eerie treatise on madness; with robust performances from the two attractive leads, assured direction by, Elio Petri and a marvellously evocative and uneasy score from, Ennio Morricone, ensures that this Giallo-Gothic is time well spent. 'A Quiet Place in The Country' sits happily alongside 'Repulsion' & 'The house with laughing windows' in terms of mood, style and uneasy content. (special mention has to be made of the wonderfully Godardian, pop-art title sequence, given considerable pep via Morricone's avaunt-beatnik grooves)

Details

Country:

Italy France

Language:

Italian English

Release Date:

15 November 1968 (Italy)

Also Known As:

A Quiet Place in the Country

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Produzioni Europee Associate (PEA), Les Productions Artistes Associés, Produzioni Associate Delphos

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1