Perversion has never been so lavish in its depravity. This odd, extremely lengthy version of the Harold Robbins novel (allegedly a fictionalized version of Portofino Rubirosa's life) is a treat for the eyes yet painful at times to watch, mainly because of graphic sex and violence of the most sadomasochistic kind, showing murder and rape as if it was a daily occurrence for general audiences. No expense was spared in detailing the sinful nature of the bandits of this fictional South American country where the young version of the amoral hero Dax witnesses the atrocious slaughter of his family and community (even a pet isn't spared the violence!) and seeks revenge. Another brutal assassination follows years later, and by this time, Bekim Fehmiu (as the older Dax) is brought in to seek revenge, that is between the seductions of every young woman he meets as the people of his homeland continue to suffer from the injustice started decades before.
The carnage of this movie is often extremely graphic with gun shots to the head and knives in various positions piercing everywhere which is distressful because of the extreme numbers a close proximity. A moving mountain tram is the subject of another shocking moment, and the victims don't just get shot of stabbed. Their reactions and last moments of breathe are gruesomely documented. But the biggest travesty of the film is of its leading man with Fehmiu weaker than wooden in his emotions, or lack of them, even when dealing with rich and bored married women (such as Olivia de Havilland!) as their gigolo.
Then along comes the future Murphy Brown, the young and gorgeous Candice Bergen, who could be a combination of Doris Duke and Barbara Hutton, both of whom were married to Rubirosa. Still no passion from Dax who in bed with de Havilland resembles Barnabas Collins of "Dark Shadows" more than the great Dominican lover. Did anybody take his pulse while on the set? Bergen, still learning her craft, was along with Cybil Shepherd and Faye Dunaway one of the most beautiful women of the early 70's. Bergen doesn't get to emote much, but she's breathtaking too look at here. The one heartbreaking element of the film is that she knows that he's using her but lets him anyway. Her tears as he makes love to her and fireworks go off just adds to the continuing bad taste that overflows like flat champagne.
So you get a glorious piece of trash here, sometimes ridiculously juvenile (particularly in a love scene where the camera zooms in and out rather pervertedly) and while much of it is indeed sumptuous to look at, you know you're getting wooden nickels in the fountains of Rome rather than coins that look like diamonds. Ernest Borgnine is absurdly cast as the South American mentor of Fehmiu, with Rossano Brazzi also present for veteran marquee value. This is the type of film that if you get ahold of it, you may not want to part with it because it's a train wreck of a movie that is fun to share with other fans of bad cinema. While some moments are indeed eye rollingly funny, the film never descends into camp, a big shame because it certainly calls for camp.
The carnage of this movie is often extremely graphic with gun shots to the head and knives in various positions piercing everywhere which is distressful because of the extreme numbers a close proximity. A moving mountain tram is the subject of another shocking moment, and the victims don't just get shot of stabbed. Their reactions and last moments of breathe are gruesomely documented. But the biggest travesty of the film is of its leading man with Fehmiu weaker than wooden in his emotions, or lack of them, even when dealing with rich and bored married women (such as Olivia de Havilland!) as their gigolo.
Then along comes the future Murphy Brown, the young and gorgeous Candice Bergen, who could be a combination of Doris Duke and Barbara Hutton, both of whom were married to Rubirosa. Still no passion from Dax who in bed with de Havilland resembles Barnabas Collins of "Dark Shadows" more than the great Dominican lover. Did anybody take his pulse while on the set? Bergen, still learning her craft, was along with Cybil Shepherd and Faye Dunaway one of the most beautiful women of the early 70's. Bergen doesn't get to emote much, but she's breathtaking too look at here. The one heartbreaking element of the film is that she knows that he's using her but lets him anyway. Her tears as he makes love to her and fireworks go off just adds to the continuing bad taste that overflows like flat champagne.
So you get a glorious piece of trash here, sometimes ridiculously juvenile (particularly in a love scene where the camera zooms in and out rather pervertedly) and while much of it is indeed sumptuous to look at, you know you're getting wooden nickels in the fountains of Rome rather than coins that look like diamonds. Ernest Borgnine is absurdly cast as the South American mentor of Fehmiu, with Rossano Brazzi also present for veteran marquee value. This is the type of film that if you get ahold of it, you may not want to part with it because it's a train wreck of a movie that is fun to share with other fans of bad cinema. While some moments are indeed eye rollingly funny, the film never descends into camp, a big shame because it certainly calls for camp.