Continental Distributing
Directed by Pietro Germi
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Criterion Collection)
Teenager Stefania Sandrelli is seduced by her sister's fiance. They manage to keep it secret until her mother finds part of a ripped up love letter. The women force her to be "examined" to see if she is still a virgin, and when she fails the test her traditional Sicilian father goes ballistic. More concerned about his appearance before the locals who hang out in the street cafes than his daughter, he tries to force her lover into marriage. However, he flees the city and hides out with some relatives, rather than agreeing to marry such a "tramp" who would sleep with him before marriage! Everyone involved tries to find and "honorable" way out of the mess to save face, everyone except the girl, of course. Anchored by an incredible performance by Saro Urzi as the father, this straddles the fine line between comedy and tragedy, exposing the hypocrisy of the traditional morals of its time.
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