Written by: Lina Wertmüller
Starring: Giancarlo Giannini, Fernando Rey, Shirley Stoler, Elena Fiore, Piero Di lorio
Rating: [3/5]
With bullets spraying and bombs raining down during a time of war, the most primal nature of everyone comes to the surface as survival becomes the main priority. This leaves individuals in the place to resort to whatever keeps them safe and continue to breathe air despite the depravity involved, which certainly describes what occurs in Seven Beauties. A feature with unquestioned visual style and flair but a story that never fully comes together.
Following the discovery that his sister became a prostitute due to her pimp boyfriend, Pasqualino (Giancarlo Giannini) finds himself on trial following some poor decision-making and ends up in a German concentration camp. He needs to find a way to survive and will resort to whatever it takes in order to live another day.
With a synopsis like that, who could possibly not have an interest in watching what this film has to offer as one would think this makes for a grounded drama, but the end result of the feature would leave you surprised. In fact, the jarring tonal shifts between comedy and drama of the circumstances walk a very tightrope. One that needs precision in order effectively execute and I’m not sure it successfully handled it all. Certainly, a challenge to take but not one so cleanly conquered even by someone as influential as Lina Wertmüller.
The concept at the center remains very clear, we cannot judge what others do in order to survive and this journey for Pasqualino going from an insane asylum to a German concentration camp seeks to solidify that point. It serves as the contrast between how he views women and what they must do in order to do the same, which serves as a larger lesson for him but the journey to reach that conclusion surely takes its time to get there to the point where it begins to lose some of its edge as it moves along. The issues that strike me in this feature align with what has been experienced in other Wertmüller films, which lies in the story itself.
She undoubtedly shines as a visual storyteller and what she manages to capture through the lens of her camera here absolutely astounds. Filled to the brim with visually striking shots, this feature demonstrates what makes her a legend in Italy, but where the disconnect occurs for me comes the story. Wertmüller holds the story credit and tells this narrative set in during World War II, which allows her to delve into a fascist world and pick apart the truly heinous aspects of the people residing in it including the very protagonist of this feature. She knows how to craft these characters as individuals worth following, but the way she weaves it all into the narrative leaves so much to be desired especially with the potential at the helm. What we receive is a narrative jostling us back and forth through its tonal inconsistencies as it creates this bumpy ride until its very poignant conclusion.
Her creation of someone like Pasqualino does allow an actor like Giancarlo Giannini a moment to shine in the spotlight once again thus again proving their collaboration one that renders some strong results. Giannini does so much with his eyes and through this character manages to convey a character so captivating to watch on-screen that you can forget sometimes the true nature of his character and how he views others. Someone you would not want to spend much time with but makes for someone slightly captivating to watch as he navigates all of these terrible situations in such a difficult time to live. He captures the desperate feeling of Pasqualino at every turn and further solidifies what makes him one of Italy’s most revered actors.
Although I have plenty more to see, trying out Seven Beauties solidifies that perhaps legendary filmmaker Lina Wertmüller and I navigate on different wavelengths. Much like the other films of hers I have experienced, this feature brings a level of excellence when it comes to visual flair but when distilling down the story it leaves so much to be desired. It has an erraticness that proves to be too scattershot in its approach and tone that makes its ultimately satisfying conclusion not worth the squeeze. This serves as yet another film of hers where I deeply respect what she wants to do but I can say I don’t necessarily enjoy what the end product leaves us.
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