Notre Dame des Turcs

Why is there some seemingly extraneous name as a headline for Carmelo Bene very own movie?

Just because i've felt some strong correlation between "Bestie" and "Nostra Signora dei Turchi" - under influence of black tea with thymus from Greece. Kind of 'bewitched with confidence' with this feeling of liaison. Good feeling, it needs to be added.

"Bestie" also is the only book i've ever read in italian (bilingual edition with russian), as well as "Signora" is the first movie by Carmelo Bene i chose to watch. So then, what's next - novel by Tozzi or film by Bene?

Bene was an actor particularly dedicated to the theatre, and his movies are kind of experiments that trie to accord the theatrical strength of monologue with the evocation of the images. Here there's no a real plot, and the protagonist is a man that we found in different - quite surrealistic - situations and ambients: there he proceeds with streams of consciousness and monologues about his condition of precarious health human being, as someone that's not able to understand the meanings of events and life. In a sequence of images that communicate not in a narrative sense but because evocative, evanescent and dreamy, the plot is destroyed for a consciousness omnipresent but incapable to follow an organic path of life.

"Our Lady of the Turks" is a film that is hard to categorize. Then again Carmelo Bene's films are hard to define. Often beautiful, sometimes boring, somewhat ego-centric and sometimes bitingly humorous. The film starts off as a sort of mocumentary about Ontranto, Italy. This is where the Turks tried to invade 100 years before; killing the Saracens. Then we are treated to Bene in front of the camera in a series of bizarre, surreal images and comical mishaps. Bene's character is taunted by the Madonna. Wherever he goes this beautiful virgin Mary is sure to follow, making his life a real headache. She is symbolic of man's desire and dreams. This is a film where visuals overpower story or lack there of. At first I didn't know how to feel about the film. But to be honest, it was quite a journey with it's bizarre experimental style. Somewhat frustrating but altogether breathtaking. There's simply nothing like it. If you enjoy Fellini or even experimental films by Stan Brakhage; you may find this film interesting. Not that I didn't enjoy the film, but I felt it was 20 minutes too long. My opinion might change after a second or third viewing.