Soixante-dix fois sept

Seventy Time Seven (1962)

** (out of 4)

Cora (Isabel Sarli) is a poor young girl who agrees to marry a sheep herder (Jardel Filho) who quickly takes her to a farm out in the middle of nowhere. Pretty soon a horse thief (Francisco Rabal) comes across the farm and Cora quickly begins to have feelings for the man.

SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN, also known simply as THE FEMALE, is an Argentina picture that is well-made and well-acted but sadly it's also deadly boring and that keeps it from being better known. Actress Sarli became a cult figure due to some of her sex films like FEUDO but if you're looking for anything overly sexual here then you're going to be disappointed as this here is pretty much a melodrama.

For the most part I thought the film was well-made and the director at least showed that he could tell a story. The cinematography is also exceptionally good and I thought all three actors were good in their roles. The problem is that you just really don't care about any of them and this adds to the film being rather boring, which in the end causes the film to be hard to get through. A tad bit more energy or passion might have helped things but as they stand, SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN is for Sarli fans only.

Cora is a Mexican prostitute with typically inconsiderate johns. She is troubled by a hole in the ceiling. The hole triggers flashbacks regarding how she got to where she is; she hooked up with a gringo and got involved in digging a well. A horse thief given up for dead gives them a hand.

The mild nudity is shot in the most discreet fashion. Soon we learn the film's intention has nothing to do with titillation, despite the fact that the distribution company (Cambist) specialized in soft-core (as far as I can determine). Quite the contrary, it's a very involving and artistic film with wonderful performances. Particularly Isabel Sarli, who reminded me of a young Sophia Loren; she maintains a light spirit and carrying weight on her shoulders at the same time. I was impressed, given the other performance I had seen her in, FUEGO, which was a little more over the top (but where she also had done a convincing job, as a nymphomaniac.) It is surprising this film is not better known, given its fine direction and overall quality. The fact that it was of South American origin might have had something to do with its lack of respect, as far as recognition in the United States was concerned.

The IMDb lists a 1968 film by the same name, also starring Senora Sarli. It boasts a different cast and country of origin, so it appears to be an altogether different movie.