La ceinture de chasteté

Tony Curtis, excellent in "The Defiant Ones", "Some Like It Hot", "The Boston Strangler," here is worthy of mercy. Monica Vitti, one of the best actresses of all time, here she is pathetic. John Richardson, Tumak of "One Million Years BC", has a small, insignificant role. The whole movie is nothing more than a big waste of time. Zero stars!

"The Chastity Belt" should be better regarded. Okay, it's not great cinema, but it is a frolicking romp of a flick with a few subdued late-60's naughty bits, a libertine Pasollini feel to it's general proceedings, and a great overall look. Tony Curtis (so under-rated) plays a knight in hot pursuit of the key to unlock Monica Vitti's ... um ... armor. Curtis is great clever fun, lampooning the movie star image he cultivated in films like 'Taras Bulba,' 'The Vikings' and 'Spartacus.' Monica Vitti had to be at her most beautiful just at that moment of the world, so ravishingly beautiful is she here. The great cinematographer Carlo Di Palma shot the film after he shot three classics for MIchelangelo Antonioni and before he shot ten distinctive films of Woody Allen's mid-career. Danilo Donati provides the costumes. Donati has been Oscar-nominated, like, six times, winning two Oscars for Zefferelli's 'Romeo and Juliet' and Fellini's 'Casanova.' He should've been nominated for this one; his work is eye-popping and yet historically accurate. It's true that this movie won't change your life and it has some slow and even confusing patches and not enough nudity or raucous goings-on to make it completely noteworthy. It's also, on occasion, poorly dubbed. However, anyone interested in Curtis or Vitti, or anyone interested in a sometimes-funny outing with a film that's quite unusual and far better and far more adventurous than most comedies made today, should enjoy this one.

I'm I the only person to like this film ?? I saw it a long time ago and remember it as being a quirky film with some funny moments. All in all not as bad as it's made out to be !

Not an easy film to get hold of.

Movie that mixes comedy and fantasy in a medieval setting full of historical misunderstandings and false clichés. Fun but not great. A plot that clings to itself with a cheerful ending.

You are not the only person that remembers this film.

I thought it was funny and better the Mel Brooks "Men in Tights" which had a similar theme.

As I remember it Tony Curtis is a young knight who falls for a lovely young maiden that gives him a really hard time until she realises that he really does love her. One their wedding day this load turns up and orders him to come on the crusades with him. But he must not leave his new bride, who he has not even spent one night with, without protection. The blacksmith is commissioned to construct a "Chastity Belt" for the young lady. The funniest scene for me is Tony pretending to have found some him for the lady and as they cuddle Tony slips the fiendish device upon her and off he goes.

I wish I could see it again as the last time was about 20 years ago.

If anyone knows where a copy can be found with English then please post a note here.

Thanks, Brian.