La femme à travers le monde

Based upon today's standards, the Cane series may seem quite dated. But when I was in high school, these were cult films and considered quite unique and groundbreaking. While the reaction wasn't anything like that of Rocky Horror Picture Show, many teens enjoyed going to these movies over and over. We had never seen anything quite like it. These were the days long before the internet and cable TV. Married people were still sleeping in twin beds on TV, so the times were VERY different. The Cane series just opened up a whole new world. My two favorites were Mondo Cane and Women of the World. Some of the scenes are rather gory. Pictures of face lifts and other beauty treatments can be seen today 24/7 on cable TV, but this was heavy for the time. The award winning song, "More" came from Mando Cane. Its melody is haunting and all of you have heard it, even though you might not be aware that it came from that movie. Peter Ustinov was definitely ahead of his time and these movies are worth seeing, if for no other reason than to find out what your parents or grandparents found fascinating during their adolescence!

This was made with leftovers from the great 'Mondo Cane.' As was Mondo Pazzo. (aka Mondo Cane II) Checking out the female form and activity all over the world, you get everything. Soldiers, strippers, hookers, and the multiple wives of some warrior types.

Some would see this as a bit sexist due to its obsession with the subservient roles. But that's how it was then.

Seeing the Geisha bit was interesting. I live in Japan. It's great to see a dying art get its due.

However, the plastic surgery scenes were not easy to watch.

If you like Mondo, see this one.

This "Mondo" movie is centered around women. The film takes us around the world and we are shown a lot of pretty bizarre stuff. Female coed hitchhikers in Sweden, mothers of thalidomide babies, stone age drag queens, sexy polynesian dancers, and the bizarre "women of the window" of Hamburg are among the attractions. The sequence I found the most incredible was the village in Algeria where all the working age men were killed in civil war. The widows support the children by sneaking up during Algerian Army artillery practice and rush in between rounds to gather the shrapnel from the shells to sell to scrap metal dealers! Not the best "mondo" movie, but worth a look.

Women of the World felt like a direct sequel to Mondo Cane. It did fairly well in art houses -- considered a little too edgy for early 60's sentimentality to open very wide. Regrettably, it seems to be a lost film, at least in the U.S. The Riz Ortolani score is terrific. The main theme is a rousing twist number with a delightful montage of a variety of women. The rest of the score is a real treat for soundtrack aficianados. Look for this great movie score in vinyl bins.

I recently picked up the "Mondo Cane collection" from Blue Underground. The second of the official Mondo films is "Women of the World", feels more like a spin-off then an actual sequel to "Mondo Cane" as in was made in between the previous original Mondo, but before the sequel for that "shockumentary". "Women of the World" is just that, showing women from around the globe, from Israeli officers to Hamburg hookers, from Swedish co-ed hitch-hikers to gay drag queens. All in the name of enlightenment, i suppose. Like the previous film it saves the more risque parts for the latter area of the film (childbirth, army widows, etc...) Not as good as the previous film, but still worth a look.

My Grade: C

DVD Extras: 2 theatrical trailers (Usa and International); Poster and still gallery