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IMDbPro

The Skin

Original title: La pelle
  • 1981
  • Not Rated
  • 2h 11m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
1.2K
YOUR RATING
The Skin (1981)
DramaWar

After the Allies liberate Naples in 1943, the life for the locals is not much easier, especially for women. Many sacrifice their dignity and morale to survive.After the Allies liberate Naples in 1943, the life for the locals is not much easier, especially for women. Many sacrifice their dignity and morale to survive.After the Allies liberate Naples in 1943, the life for the locals is not much easier, especially for women. Many sacrifice their dignity and morale to survive.

  • Director
    • Liliana Cavani
  • Writers
    • Curzio Malaparte
    • Robert Katz
    • Liliana Cavani
  • Stars
    • Marcello Mastroianni
    • Ken Marshall
    • Alexandra King
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.6/10
    1.2K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Liliana Cavani
    • Writers
      • Curzio Malaparte
      • Robert Katz
      • Liliana Cavani
    • Stars
      • Marcello Mastroianni
      • Ken Marshall
      • Alexandra King
    • 13User reviews
    • 9Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 2 nominations

    Photos65

    The Skin (1981)
    Burt Lancaster, Marcello Mastroianni, Claudia Cardinale, and Alexandra King in The Skin (1981)
    The Skin (1981)
    Claudia Cardinale in The Skin (1981)
    Marcello Mastroianni in The Skin (1981)
    Burt Lancaster in The Skin (1981)
    Marcello Mastroianni in The Skin (1981)
    The Skin (1981)
    The Skin (1981)
    Marcello Mastroianni and Alexandra King in The Skin (1981)
    Ken Marshall and Liliana Tari in The Skin (1981)
    Marcello Mastroianni and Alexandra King in The Skin (1981)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Marcello Mastroianni
    Marcello Mastroianni
    • Curzio Malaparte
    Ken Marshall
    Ken Marshall
    • Jimmy Wren
    Alexandra King
    • Deborah Wyatt
    Carlo Giuffrè
    Carlo Giuffrè
    • Eduardo Mazzullo
    Yann Babilée
    • Jean-Louis
    Jeanne Valérie
    Jeanne Valérie
    • Principessa a Capri
    Liliana Tari
    • Maria Concetta
    Peppe Barra
    • Sarto
    • (as Giuseppe Barra)
    Cristina Donadio
    Cristina Donadio
    • Amica di Anna
    Rosaria della Femmina
    • Amante di Jimmy
    • (as Maria Rosaria Della Femmina)
    Jacques Sernas
    Jacques Sernas
    • Gen Guillaume
    Claudia Cardinale
    Claudia Cardinale
    • Principessa Consuelo Caracciolo
    Burt Lancaster
    Burt Lancaster
    • Gen. Mark Clark
    Gianni Abbate
    Anna Maria Ackermann
    Concetta Barra
      Giselda Castrini
      Giselda Castrini
      Antonella Cioli
      • Rosaria
      • Director
        • Liliana Cavani
      • Writers
        • Curzio Malaparte(novel "La pelle")
        • Robert Katz(screenplay)
        • Liliana Cavani(screenplay)
      • All cast & crew
      • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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      Storyline

      Edit

      Did you know

      Edit
      • Trivia
        Italian censorship visa # 76985 delivered on 23-9-1981.
      • Goofs
        At approximately 19 mn into the movie and again at approximately 1h18 mn, Goldberg, the roommate of Jimmy Wren (Ken Marshall), is seen reading an issue of the comic book "Batman". However the cover is clearly shown and is in fact that of issue N°257, published in August 1974, ie 31 years after the events of the movie.
      • Connections
        Featured in Naples '44 (2016)
      • Soundtracks
        La Pelle
        written by Roberto De Simone

        sung by Maria Kelly

        recorded on "La Gatta Cenerentola"

        published by La voce del padrone; EMI Italiana

      User reviews13

      Review
      Review
      Featured review
      9/10
      Skillful rendition of the book
      This movie is based on the true memoirs of the main character (Curzio Malaparte) during his time when he acted as diplomatic liaison between the Allied forces and the Italian in the newly occupied Italy. The book is a collection of short stories depicting the collapse of the Italian society under Allied occupation. There is no story line between those short stories. The movie puts them in chronological order, but the reigning chaos and lack of moral message (the message is exactly the lack of morality) can confuse the spectator.

      This is a very original war movie, in that the main theme is the not the war front. The Allied are not viewed from their own perspective, which is one of true liberators. Instead, the movie shows the Italian people courting the Allies as liberators in order to escape from starvation. The Allies themselves are caught in a trap where they know the Italian hospitality isn't sincere, but are unable to understand why. They don't realize that before them, the Germans were courted as liberators too, and that in this context of food shortage and general poverty, the only way the Italians have to secure their survival is to play that game.

      Malaparte (played by Marcello Mastroiani) acts then as a translator, helping the Americans as a guide would help a tourist, by explaining in each situation why people are acting in this seemingly dishonorable way.

      La Pelle (The Skin) would make more sense if compared to Malaparte's twin book on the occupied Europe (Kaputt, or Broken to Pieces). In the latter, he portrays the Nazi way of oppressing through violence. In La Pelle, he shows how the Americans achieve a similar result through economic means, while refusing any responsibility. In Kaputt, Jewish women are made prostitutes by the German Army to escape death by the bullet; in La Pelle, Italian women become prostitutes for the American Army to escape death by starvation.
      helpful•29
      1
      • dmvianna
      • Nov 18, 2007

      Details

      Edit
      • Release date
        • November 25, 1981 (France)
      • Countries of origin
        • Italy
        • France
      • Official site
        • Official Site
      • Language
        • Italian
      • Also known as
        • Koza
      • Filming locations
        • Casa Malaparte, Isle of Capri, Naples, Campania, Italy(Villa of the main character, Curzio Malaparte)
      • Production companies
        • Opera Film Produzione
        • Gaumont
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Technical specs

      Edit
      • Runtime
        2 hours 11 minutes
      • Sound mix
        • Dolby Digital
      • Aspect ratio
        • 1.37 : 1

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