La vénitienne

The director Mauro Bolognini has some experience of historical movies and you can see this in this late-Renaissance movie set at the canals of Venice and he has also experience with love-stories. This movie written with the help of Massimo Franciosa lacks the grandeur of a Luchino Visconti but at no moment one gets the impression of being bored. Laura Antonelli is very good as Angela and she looks like an angel just as in the other movie L'Innocent (1976) but why is she closing the windows of her apartment when her lover (Jason Connery - he has no name in the movie!) is throwing stones into her room? The mores of the time when the doge is allowing the prostitutes to show their breasts, and the young noblemen throwing fish at them, are explored and the question remains what the life of an older (but still young), rich widow must heave been in Venice at the end of the 15th century. It is not surprising that such a woman is glowed with fire when she can see from her room a young man p***ing in the canal. The sex-scenes in the movie are good and made with taste; there is even a scene where Angela is near of having a sexual affair with her servant who tries to console her mistress. This story of a one night, two lovers affair remembers me of the Decamerone because of its freshness and sweetness.