In one moment, the father of this Sicilian family is with his buddies and computing the number of times a "real man" will ejaculate in his life (once per day between 18 and 60, so that's 42 years * 365 days, he reasons...), and in the next, he's calling his 16-year-old daughter a whore for even the idea that she's been with a man. The 1964 is a landmark film in calling out the double standard, especially when you consider the attitudes shown by real Italians in Pasolini's documentary from the same year, Love Meetings. It goes much further than that though, setting its sights on the shocking law that absolved a rapist of his crime provided he married his victim. In this case it's statutory and the girl has feelings for the fiance of her sister who aggressively came on to her until she gave in, but it's still very dark stuff.
Ironically the young girl is the one who feels guilty, not him, and she's berated by her priest and her father. As someone puts it, "It's a man's right to ask, a woman's duty to refuse," and the fact that she's not a virgin now makes her spoiled and unsuitable even in the eyes of the young man. It's a film that will probably make you pretty angry, and more than once. The father is sensitive in the extreme to what this does to his family's honor, and what the gossiping townspeople will say about them. The images that director Pietro Germi puts up on the screen of their leering, ugly faces, often shot in closeup or sullenly staring at a distance, make this a broader critique of Sicilian culture. Through zany action and humorous moments, he manages to make it feel not heavy though, which was a feat in itself. Great film.
Ironically the young girl is the one who feels guilty, not him, and she's berated by her priest and her father. As someone puts it, "It's a man's right to ask, a woman's duty to refuse," and the fact that she's not a virgin now makes her spoiled and unsuitable even in the eyes of the young man. It's a film that will probably make you pretty angry, and more than once. The father is sensitive in the extreme to what this does to his family's honor, and what the gossiping townspeople will say about them. The images that director Pietro Germi puts up on the screen of their leering, ugly faces, often shot in closeup or sullenly staring at a distance, make this a broader critique of Sicilian culture. Through zany action and humorous moments, he manages to make it feel not heavy though, which was a feat in itself. Great film.