Elio Petri's oddity stars Franco Nero as a moody artist, who, on the advice of girlfriend Vanessa Redgrave, moves out to the Italian countryside and takes up residence in a decaying castle. The tranquility is short-lived as Nero goes from moody to insane. The castle may or may not be haunted by a young girl who was killed there during WWII. Some of the locals seem to know more than they're willing to let on. Nero is excellent and he & Vanessa Redgrave have A LOT of chemistry. Petri's strange directorial touches don't always work and there's probably one too many hidden rooms for Nero to discover, but this is a fine and very creepy psychological thriller. Ennio Morricone's one of a kind music score is among his best. Featuring Georges Géret as a guilt-ridden ex-lover of the mystery girl and a very outré cameo by Madeleine Damien.
Review of A Quiet Place in the Country
