September Morning

THE HAWK AND THE DOVE is a sleazy "erotic drama" of the kind that were all the rage during this era. I'm surprised Joe D'Amato didn't direct it. It's slightly notorious for featuring underage Lara Wendel in a romantic role, but the film is largely dull and plodding and Fabio Testi never seems to interest the cameraman like some of his acting comtemporaries. A few incidents in the plot and a dark ending, but there's really very little here.

I recently purchased this movie on VHS and I'm recommending it strictly for those who've enjoyed seeing Lara Wendel appearing nude is such movies as "Maladolescenza", "Ring Of Darkness", and "Desideria". The plot seems to involve an older man who begins an affair with young Lara, and is later shocked to find out that she is a heroin addict. It's in Italian with no English subs, so I didn't pay much attention to plot. Just giving it a "6" for the extensive nudity. For those unfamiliar with her, Lara Wendel first gained notoriety by appearing in highly the highly controversial 1977 Italian/German film "Maladolescenza", in which she co-starred with Eva Ionesco. The release of this film coincided with the American movie "Pretty Baby", which gained similar notoriety because of the age of its' young star Brooke Shields.