A Quiet Place in the Country (1968)

A popular painter, plagued by nightmares that he and his lover/sales agent are engaging in bizarre, ritualistic, sadistic sexual acts, seeks to escape the city and rent a house in the country.

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
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:

villa | painter | dream | painting | obsession | 

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Taglines:

Nymphomania, necrophilia, fetishism, sadomasochism.

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Genres:

Drama | Horror

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Italy France

Language:

Italian English

Release Date:

14 August 1969 (France)

Also Known As:

A Quiet Place in the Country

Filming Locations:

Milan, Lombardia, 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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mario Bava had originally planned to film " A Quiet Place in the Country ".

User Reviews

Disappointing Filming Of What Should Have Been A Fascinating Story

A mad artist can't separate fantasy from reality and takes us on a 106 minute, sleep-inducing journey through his own illusions, which include a vision of a girl who died twenty years ago in an Italian villa. Cinematic chloroform from what should have been a fascinating film. Had the music not been so frightfully avant-garde, I might have enjoyed this a little more. I got the point that the music reflected his inner turmoil, but it was just a bit too noisy and chaotic for me. Also, his imitation of a three year old who can't keep the same train of though for more than five minutes de-railed my interest in the story. Vanessa Redgrave, especially, and the rest of the cast give fine performances, but the movie just didn't work for me. This film was a real disappointment and I kept thinking what Mario Bava could have done with material like this!