Profumo di donna

Hollywood remakes are usually worse. just saw the film and yes the Hollywood remake is nowhere close to this great masterpiece. small intricacies, dialogues and excellent characterization along with brilliant use of humor make it excellent and beyond comparison. this is a landmark masterpiece. no one can match Vittoria Gassman. you know what he thinks and what kind of person he is and how he would react in a particular situation. great direction. whats amazing is the way a blind man is made so intertingly funny that you do not want to blink, you may miss somethin. a must see

Only 2 User comments available at the time I decided to write this one and both of them negative. Both of them Typical American reaction to a European movie. A big misunderstanding. Yes, the Remake with Pacino is a good movie and nothing else. The original one, "Profumo di Donna" is a great masterpiece, and it makes a big difference. My piece of advice : do not try to watch "Profumo di Donna" with a Hollywood eye.

Profumo di Donna might seem like a cheesy Italian romance and it does have its overly melodramatic moments, but due to the subtle acting of Gassman and the great chemistry between Gassman and Momo the movie has a well-balanced narration. It cannot simply be reduced to sex jokes and lewdness, although Fausto's jokes sometimes are rather crude. The writing is spot on and the message of a broken old army captain is fantastically presented against the backdrop of some of Italy's most beautiful cities.

Overall 7/10 Full review on movie-discourse.blogspot.de

I have seen the remake with Pacino a few times, and I do like it. Even though it is almost too sentimental, I like it. I especially like the tango scene. There is one ludicrous scene where a blind Pacino is driving a Ferrari in Manhattan at high speeds - PLEASE. I'm willing to suspend disbelief for enjoyment of a movie, but this was too much to ask. There would have been an accident! In spite of this and other flaws, it is a moving film.

OK, I just saw - finally - the original Italian version with Vittorio Gassman. It is better, way better. It makes the statement about loneliness, self pity, the handicap of blindness, in a simpler, purer way. It is just as touching, but less heavy-handed. Gassman is a brilliant actor, and frankly, better looking and sexier than Pacino in my humble opinion. (Also a lot taller!) But the main difference in the films: this one is FUNNY. Humor is used to make the point about the tragedy of the Captain. He is impossible in a way that is funny--outrageous-- and you can't help but laugh. The version with Pacino has very little humor.

See this one, read the subtitles, and enjoy a masterpiece.

I just wanted to outline that Vittorio Gassman has been one of the most famous and skilled and talented Italian actor ever. Dino Risi has made a great direction, but I guess it has been easy with Gassman. Al Pacino is a great actor, but in this case, if we should make comparisons between the two, Gassman in the original and Pacino in the remake...Gassman is much more powerful. All characters in this original version seem to be much more real and strong, and seem to be much more appropriate to fit where this story comes from, the novel of Arpino. The soundtrack then is something no one should miss to notice: Trovaioli has been almost forgotten indeed.