Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Sergio Assisi | ... | Ferdinando I Borbone | |
Gabriella Pession | ... | Maria Carolina d'Asburgo | |
Nicole Grimaudo | ... | Princess of Medina | |
Adriano Pantaleo | ... | Ferdinando I Borbone (child) | |
Lola Pagnani | ... | Sara Goudar | |
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Carlo Caprioli | ... | Emperor Giuseppe d'Asburgo |
Moira Grassi | ... | Countess S. Marco | |
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Vanessa Sabet | ... | Maria Giuseppa |
Matt Patresi | ... | Angelo Goudar | |
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Yari Gugliucci | ... | Gennarino Rivelli |
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Lucilla Vacondìo | ... | Lady Stratfordshire |
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Elena Presti | ... | Princess of Floridia |
Paolo De Giorgio | ... | Principe di Caramanico | |
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Giuseppe Bottiglieri | ... | Giacomo Goudar |
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Giuliano Amatucci | ... | Fedele |
On his death bed in the 1820s, King Ferdinando I of Naples tries to escape the ghosts of his bloody kingship by remembering his younger days, when he was allowed to go hunting and have fun, and inventing love games. Then he was obliged to marry Mary Caroline of Austria, daughter of Empress Mary Theresa, in a political marriage: unexpectedly, they became happy lovers, until court power games divided them, and a different historical season arrived. Written by Alessio F. Bragadini <alessio@dsnet.it>
The eighteenth century king of Naples lies dying and we trigger flashbacks of his life played as a bawdy romp.
Vintage Wertmuller - the handsomest film she has done with shuttered sun falling over palatial interiors and mobs of impressively costumed servants, courtesans and officials milling round the historical monuments and manicured lawns. The compressed form is remarkable, as when finally a cut puts the dying king's memory of the twenty year old naked Princess against a flash of her, aged, black veiled, long deceased, being dumped in the bed beside him. The women are presented gorgeously, juxtaposed with the comic, plain featured lead. The sinister side can just be spotted flashing by.
A lot of it needs more knowledge of Italian history than most viewers will bring to it - "Culture is the weapon that will return Naples to Spain."