C'era una volta

Rodrigo Fernandez (Omar Sharif) is an arrogant Spanish prince occupying 17th century Italy. His mother wants him to choose from amongst seven princesses but he rather breaks horses. A flying priest gives him some flour and challenges him to eat seven dumplings. He encounters head-strong peasant Isabella Candeloro (Sophia Loren) and is intrigued by her. He gives her the flour but she only gives him back six dumplings.

I don't always like Rodrigo. Omar Sharif has plenty enough charm to play the selfish prince with some heart. The problem seeps in when the character has an angry streak and he sneaks in some brutal undeserved violence. I don't always like Rodrigo. This is a spaghetti fairy tale. I like the seven motif. I like the attempted fantasy. The chicks are adorable. I do want to know what happened to the seventh dumpling. It would be funny to have her steal it for herself. Did she run out of flour? It would be nice to know for sure. This would be a much nicer Cinderella-like story if the prince isn't so mean.

I only saw the last half hour of this movie on the Turner Classic Movie (TCM) channel on cable one early morning last month and incidentally, was the climax of the movie. I was immediately pulled by the beauty of Sophia Loren as she competes with the other princesses in the dishwashing contest. That scene alone is a classic! I've never seen quite like it before. Too bad the movie is not available on VHS or DVD because I sure would love to own this one. Considering that I am not familiar of Sophia Loren and her movies (she peaked before my time), it is amazing to see how ravishing she looked! She joins the ranks of Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe, for me, as the most beautiful women on the silver screen.

amusing. nice. mixture of fairy tale, eroticism and humor. one of slices from a period of cinema who suggest more than present, who knows the right tools of seduction, who use the actors more for atmosphere . Sophia Loren in a wild role who gives new nuances to the old Cinderella. Omar Shariff as a not ordinary Prince Charming. and a lot of challenges. a film who is useful for its special flavor. because it is not a blockbuster, it is not surprising but has the perfect dose of charm for seduce and remind the sparkles of a world for who the film was more than entertainment. an easy film. comfortable. may best choice for nostalgics. but , first, a show who remands importance of small things who make the beauty of life.

My favorite Sophia Loren film, sprinkled with occasional medieval magic and fantasy. I think the best of various modern takes on the classic Cinderella fairy tale. Sophia and Omar were never more handsome and sexy than in this one. But, I can't believe that two such proud and strong-willed people could last long as a pair. Yes, they would respect each other for these qualities, but there would be frequent incidents that would bring out their temper and stubbornness and make for a very volatile relationship, similar to what we saw in the film....Famous Mexican actress Dolores Del Rio, now in her 60s, is the queen mother, in one of her last film roles. Unfortunately, I could not find a commercial source of this film on the internet at present, although I previously obtained a DVD copy.

This fantasy is complete with a gorgeous prince, a beautiful woman, witches with cauldrons and paper moons hanging in the sky. The story is simple but very effectively showcases Omar Sharif and Sophia Loren. A lovely way to pass a couple of hours. Some scenes are so memorable I still recalled them several years after first seeing the film in 1967.

A must for my collection. Definitely not heavy going; light, fun, and great for the whole family.