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Black Journal

Original title: Gran bollito
  • 19771977
  • 1h 55m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
485
YOUR RATING
Black Journal (1977)
CrimeDramaHorror
Lea, a mature Neapolitan woman who runs a box office in the Lotto in a northern city, has had thirteen children, but all but one have died from abortion or after a few months of life. The on... Read allLea, a mature Neapolitan woman who runs a box office in the Lotto in a northern city, has had thirteen children, but all but one have died from abortion or after a few months of life. The only survivor, Michele, is taken care of by her with morbid affection: she is convinced that... Read allLea, a mature Neapolitan woman who runs a box office in the Lotto in a northern city, has had thirteen children, but all but one have died from abortion or after a few months of life. The only survivor, Michele, is taken care of by her with morbid affection: she is convinced that she has stolen it from death by negotiating with her, so she is not willing to give it aw... Read all
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
485
YOUR RATING
    • Mauro Bolognini
    • Luciano Vincenzoni(story)
    • Nicola Badalucco(story)
    • Angelo Dellagiacoma(additional dialogue)
  • Stars
    • Shelley Winters
    • Max von Sydow
    • Renato Pozzetto
    • Mauro Bolognini
    • Luciano Vincenzoni(story)
    • Nicola Badalucco(story)
    • Angelo Dellagiacoma(additional dialogue)
  • Stars
    • Shelley Winters
    • Max von Sydow
    • Renato Pozzetto
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 5User reviews
    • 9Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos23

    Black Journal (1977)
    Shelley Winters in Black Journal (1977)
    Shelley Winters and Rita Tushingham in Black Journal (1977)
    Shelley Winters and Max von Sydow in Black Journal (1977)
    Shelley Winters in Black Journal (1977)
    Max von Sydow, Alberto Lionello, and Renato Pozzetto in Black Journal (1977)
    Shelley Winters in Black Journal (1977)
    Max von Sydow in Black Journal (1977)
    Rita Tushingham in Black Journal (1977)
    Laura Antonelli in Black Journal (1977)
    Milena Vukotic in Black Journal (1977)
    Shelley Winters and Antonio Marsina in Black Journal (1977)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Shelley Winters
    Shelley Winters
    • Lea
    Max von Sydow
    Max von Sydow
    • Lisa Carpi…
    Renato Pozzetto
    Renato Pozzetto
    • Stella Kraus…
    Alberto Lionello
    Alberto Lionello
    • Berta Maner…
    Laura Antonelli
    Laura Antonelli
    • Sandra
    Mario Scaccia
    Mario Scaccia
    • Rosario
    Franco Branciaroli
    • Don Onorio, the priest
    Milena Vukotic
    Milena Vukotic
    • Tina
    Rita Tushingham
    Rita Tushingham
    • Maria
    Adriana Asti
    Adriana Asti
    • Palma
    Antonio Marsina
    Antonio Marsina
    • Michele
    Liù Bosisio
    • The crippled neighbor
    Maria Monti
    • Second neighbor
    Giancarlo Badessi
    • Lisa's friend
    Marco Modugno
    • Student
    Alberto Squillante
    • Carabiniere
    Franco Balducci
    Regina Bianchi
    • (voice double: Shelley Winters)
      • Mauro Bolognini
      • Luciano Vincenzoni(story)
      • Nicola Badalucco(story) (screenplay)
      • Angelo Dellagiacoma(additional dialogue)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Ornella Muti was originally chosen for the role of Sandra, but dropped out before filming began.
    • Connections
      Referenced in Serial Mom (1994)
    • Soundtracks
      Vita Vita
      By Enzo Jannacci and Giuseppe Viola

      Performed by Mina

    User reviews5

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Sickening and weird, but interesting
    Leonarda Cianciulli was a housewife who became one of Italy's most notorious serial killers. She murdered three women and boiled down their bodies to soap. This took place in 1940, and when Cianculli had died in prison in 1970, the case apparently re-gained some attention, leading to the 1977 biopic/horror movie „Gran bollito".

    The movie, although taking a lot of liberties for the screenplay, provides a (probably) quite accurate depiction of the woman (here called „Lea", played by Shelley Winters). She was pregnant more than a dozen of times, but lost all of the children due to miscarriage or due to illnesses shortly after birth. When her only son Michele survived and grew up healthy, Lea, highly superstitious, believed to be in a pact with the devil, and set out to do even most drastic steps, including human sacrifices, to ensure his safety. And there is a lot for her to worry, since Michele is about to be drafted for the military, and there is also another woman in his life, the beautiful Sandra, who causes heavy jealousy in Lea.

    This movie is morbid and sickening throughout. Its strength is in the contrast between the normality of Lea's house and the horrible things she does in it. Her behaviour is always friendly, protective, helpful, but at the same time she is cold-blooded, determined, crazy. To add to the creepy atmosphere, all the people who frequent her house are utterly strange, her housemaid is handycapped, her husband is paralyzed, you name it. In an interesting take on the real events, the three murder victims are transvestites, increasing the strange feel of the movie.

    Unfortunately there is overall quite little going on and a couple of story lines are not really too helpful. There's a lot of rather irrelevant dialogs and the murder sequences are dragged out far too long, especially the first victim and the whole „I'm going to America" thing. It was hard to endure for me and I actually just kept up in the hope that Laura Antonelli as Sandra would show up more often. In fact she does near the end, but her part is quite shallow and serves only to build some tension in the over-constructed finale. Still, her elegant beauty and „normality" makes her an anchor in this sea of madness.

    Despite the problems of the screenplay, the actors perform very well, especially Shelley Winters as Lea on the thin line between normality and madness. But it's also very surprising to see an actor like Max von Sydow as one of the transvestites, and as mentioned, Italian superstar Laura Antonelli in a supporting role (replacing Ornella Muti on short notice). Another noteworthy aspect is the perfect time period recreation by „Caligula" artist Danilo Donati. Although not too graphic, this film is hard to come by in an unedited version.

    „Gran bollito" is successful at creating a sickening atmosphere and the actors are very good, but all that can't offset the weaknesses of the plot. As a biopic, it is just too superficial and filled with irrelevant subplots, as a horror movie it can only offer its creepy mood, but barely any real tension except for very few scenes. Still, not too bad and watchable if you're into Seventies weirdness.
    helpful•11
    1
    • peterosenau
    • Dec 28, 2014

    Details

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    • Release date
      • November 24, 1977 (Italy)
      • Italy
      • Italian
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
    • Production company
      • Triangolo Film
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 1 hour 55 minutes
      • Color

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