Summer Affair is kind of an Italian version of Romero and Juliet, intertwined with themes of free love, overbearing parents and a sun-baked island. The film is basically the story of a young girl who is enticed by a good looking, 'free spirit', much to the dismay of her father. The pair spends time together and eventually they end up on a boat. The boats gets out of control and the pair find themselves on a deserted island together. Meanwhile, the girl's father gets the police involved to try and 'save' his daughter. It has to be said that the film isn't all that interesting - not a great deal really happens and it tends to rely on the themes of the plot rather than the plot itself. The film does look nice, however, and director Giorgio Stegani does a good job of capturing the sun drenched locations and the picturesque island at the centre of the story. The film stars the beautiful Ornella Muti in one of her first roles, and while she doesn't get a great deal to do; she is always nice to look at. Starring alongside her is Alessio Orano and the two share a believable chemistry. The plot really is rather predictable and the film doesn't feature any surprises either. I wouldn't heavily recommend anyone goes out of their way for this film...but it is at least a decent watch.
7 Reviews
Love is blind
unbrokenmetal27 September 2008
Lisa (Ornella Muti) meets a bunch of hippies and falls in love with guitar player Robert (Alessio Orano). Her father seems to think 'never trust a man with a flower tattoo' and asks Lisa to stop the relationship. The young lovers run away and end up shipwrecked on an island. But the police will search for them even there, and they are hunted mercilessly, getting into a desperate situation...
"Il sole nella pelle" seems a little dated with the hippies and the police who'd arrest them anytime, including a discussion at dime novel tragedy level about longing for freedom while it can't be achieved. But in the end, it's first of all a movie about foolish love, when a young girl is blind for the consequences, and it is a safe bet that still happens as often as back in 1971. Luigi Pistilli, one of the great character actors of the Italian cinema with an unforgettable face, plays the Chief of Police. 16 year old Ornella Muti took a bold step towards fame (or at least scandal) here with her first nude scene (her debut "The Most Beautiful Wife" did without such a scene, but is a more powerful movie).
"Il sole nella pelle" seems a little dated with the hippies and the police who'd arrest them anytime, including a discussion at dime novel tragedy level about longing for freedom while it can't be achieved. But in the end, it's first of all a movie about foolish love, when a young girl is blind for the consequences, and it is a safe bet that still happens as often as back in 1971. Luigi Pistilli, one of the great character actors of the Italian cinema with an unforgettable face, plays the Chief of Police. 16 year old Ornella Muti took a bold step towards fame (or at least scandal) here with her first nude scene (her debut "The Most Beautiful Wife" did without such a scene, but is a more powerful movie).
Sunshine on the skin
Katy-1321 March 1999
A very young Ornella Muti plays a rich girl who falls for an older hippie boy. Her parents don't approve and try to stop her from seeing him so they run away to a villa (Her parents') by the sea. Later they are shipwrecked on a deserted island. The plot focuses on the efforts of the police to figure out where the girl is, which is set against the developing relationship between the two young people. As there is only brief nudity, the film really can't be considered an erotic movie. It's a coming-of-age story in the context of a struggle between "free love" and established, conservative values and power. It's also known as 'Sunshine on the skin'.
"Endless Love" and "The Blue Lagoon" all'Italia
lazarillo19 December 2006
The Italians are often accused of ripping off American films. While there is a lot truth to that, it often works the other way as well (i.e. the American "slasher" films owe a great debt to Mario Bava's "Bay of Blood" and any number of other Italian gialli). Sometimes though the similarities are just a strange kind of synchronicity. If it hadn't been made years earlier I would swear this film was a rip-off of TWO different Brooke Shields movies. Unfortunately, those two films are "The Blue Lagoon" and "Endless Love".
Like "Endless Love" this is a film about a young, naive girl (played by Ornella Muti, who started out as an Italian Brooke Shields but turned out to be a daring and talented actress)who meets an older drifter (played by Allesandro Oranio, later Muti's real-life husband). She is from a wealthy industrial family, however, and, of course, her father does not approve. So far, so "Endless Love", but then the pair runs off together and end up on an island where nothing really interesting happens--just like in "The Blue Lagoon".
Ornella Muti is pretty good, although she doesn't really have much of a character here truth be told. Oranio is not bad, but he is such an effeminate pretty-boy (who was probably cast against Muti because she was one of the few girls prettier than he was)that it's hard to understand why her father would have found him so threatening. The great Italian character actor Luigi Pistilli is also in the cast as a cop searching for the runaway couple.
I suspect this movie was made later than than the IMDb release date says. It has this ridiculous late 70's disco-era prologue, which was obviously slapped on by the American distributor but it's still seems strange that they would wait seven or eight years to release a film stateside. Moreover though, Ornella Muti looks quite a bit older than she did in films like "Oasis of Fear" and "Appassionata". I would guess this film was made closer to 1975. It's not as good as "Oasis of Fear" and not nearly as twisted and perverse as more famous Muti films like "Appasionata" or "The Last Woman". Still I think her fans might enjoy it, if for no other reason than simply to see how far this incredible actress has come.
Like "Endless Love" this is a film about a young, naive girl (played by Ornella Muti, who started out as an Italian Brooke Shields but turned out to be a daring and talented actress)who meets an older drifter (played by Allesandro Oranio, later Muti's real-life husband). She is from a wealthy industrial family, however, and, of course, her father does not approve. So far, so "Endless Love", but then the pair runs off together and end up on an island where nothing really interesting happens--just like in "The Blue Lagoon".
Ornella Muti is pretty good, although she doesn't really have much of a character here truth be told. Oranio is not bad, but he is such an effeminate pretty-boy (who was probably cast against Muti because she was one of the few girls prettier than he was)that it's hard to understand why her father would have found him so threatening. The great Italian character actor Luigi Pistilli is also in the cast as a cop searching for the runaway couple.
I suspect this movie was made later than than the IMDb release date says. It has this ridiculous late 70's disco-era prologue, which was obviously slapped on by the American distributor but it's still seems strange that they would wait seven or eight years to release a film stateside. Moreover though, Ornella Muti looks quite a bit older than she did in films like "Oasis of Fear" and "Appassionata". I would guess this film was made closer to 1975. It's not as good as "Oasis of Fear" and not nearly as twisted and perverse as more famous Muti films like "Appasionata" or "The Last Woman". Still I think her fans might enjoy it, if for no other reason than simply to see how far this incredible actress has come.
Summer Affair is not exactly true to the original Italian film.
zorzalcg26 April 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I saw this movie in format 4:3, with a very mediocre quality of image, with a serviceable English dubbing under the title of "Summer Affair". At first I was disconcerted, because I knew that the original film was made in Italy under the title of "Il Solle Nella Pelle" something like The Sun on the Skin. I compared running times between the English version and the original Italian version using the data in the IMDb and verified that the first was 9 minutes shorter than the second. I was unable to get a copy of the original Italian version but I read the plot in a post of the web and, to my surprise, the ending was significantly altered and the mood of the original seemed to be more dark, more like a police account. All in all, Summer Affair is not only a dubbing job but a re cut of the original film with the addition of a disco act a little anachronistic for 1971 and the editing of the darker parts and the tragic finale. So let's talk about "Summer Affair". The core of the story was retained. Lisa (Ornella Muti) the only child of a rich industrialist falls in love for the first time in her tender 16 years old with Robert (Alessio Orano), a rebellious guy that travels along with a bunch of hippies. Obviously the parents of Lisa are appalled, particularly the father (Chris Avram) makes the mistake of forbid her daughter to ever see again such a bum. Lisa disobeys this order. Robert tries to say farewell to Lisa because he confess his longing to undertake a long sea voyage. She invites him to a property of her family by the sea as the last opportunity to be together. Without thinking of the consequences, they borrow a small sail boat and take off for a ride. But the boat get caught in a shallow rock and both youngsters are marooned in a desert island. This was the second feature film of Ornella's career and she was only 16 years old. Yes. She was naked or half naked for the first time before the camera. But I have to say that, in my opinion, the director Giorgio Stegani was very subtle and ended up with a very beautiful set of sensual images, specially the swimming moment and the scenes at the sand beach. He never forgot that it was not an X rated movie but the story of discovering for the first time, little by little the power of the eroticism, the sexiness of a young naked body and the defeat of the freezing shyness mixing with a good dose of fear. Furthermore, Robert was an authentic gentleman hippie, more like an older brother and a teacher. His love for her is pure and tender. When Lisa confesses that she doesn't know how to make love and that makes her feel insecure, Robert tells her that she must not rush into it and that he is willing to wait for the right moment, when all will come naturally. The love making is reduced to a series of ardent kisses under the sun. But this fairy tale is abruptly put to an end when the police and the media arrive. The father is very harsh with the boy, the press is cynical and the whole affair is a big scandal, ending in the walk of shame of Lisa and Robert handcuffed and running desperately towards the vessel in which his lost love is returning to her home. Once again, like in The Most Beautiful Woman before and in "Experiencia Prematrimonial" later, the chemistry between Ornella Muti and Alessio Orano is potent. It's a perfect blend of the sweet, shy and precocious girl possessing a sensuous body and angelical face with the blue eyed, dark long hair, dangerously handsome boy having a bad attitude for social correctness. This great combination is the strong point of Summer Affair. The downside is always the same. If you treat a thing like trash, this thing winds up being a trash. "Il Sole Nella Pelle" has been altered, edited, adulterated, used and abused. Fragments of the film has been scattered around the web, distorting the essence of the story. In conclusion, this movie would deserve a better treatment to regain its worthiness.
A very sensual story
polo_on_road3 February 2010
The story is simple, a young girl and her boyfriend at a desert island, they found the love.
I remember this movie, I was 14 years old, and yes this movie is from 1971, someone dude about the release date. It was one of the first erotic movies I ever saw.
Compare with Blue Lagoon and other movies like this, I think this one is much better, the film locations are paradisaical, and Ornella was so young, She looks gorgeous!!
The music score was a very good part of the movie, so if you review, a young and beautiful actress, a smart and perfect photography, ans a music score that make you dream, this movie could be rated as a very good movie for the 70's Italian film industry
I remember this movie, I was 14 years old, and yes this movie is from 1971, someone dude about the release date. It was one of the first erotic movies I ever saw.
Compare with Blue Lagoon and other movies like this, I think this one is much better, the film locations are paradisaical, and Ornella was so young, She looks gorgeous!!
The music score was a very good part of the movie, so if you review, a young and beautiful actress, a smart and perfect photography, ans a music score that make you dream, this movie could be rated as a very good movie for the 70's Italian film industry
Mutti but not Nudi
anordall20 November 2012
On those days, Europeans still believed in the built-in good nature of Man. So, the boy is a healthy, sympathetic guitar player who won't force the little girl into sex unless she is willing to be initiated in this sole reason to exist (the goddess Reason was long gone, after the reason-shattering slaughters of WW1 and WW2, and god Hazard hadn't been put in her place yet). Anyway, only extreme examples as this (the film) will proof such empty theories... Also: much to the contrary of what "sheenafilm" states in his (her)review of Il Sole nella Pele, Ornella Mutti doesn't appear in the nude scene. The credits clearly say that the scene was taken with the sole participation of an over-eighteen model.
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