Grazie, Zia
Cast & Crew
Salvatore Samperi
Lisa Gastoni
Lou Castel
Gabriele Ferzetti
Luisa De Santis
Nicoletta Rizzi
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Alvise, the 17-year-old son of a wealthy Italian financier, has developed a psychosomatic paralysis which keeps him confined to a wheelchair. When his parents take a trip to Hong Kong, Alvise is sent to stay at the villa of his youthful Aunt Lea, a doctor who for 15 years has been the mistress of liberal journalist Stefano. Alvise's presence has a disquieting effect upon Lea, and she gradually becomes dissatisfied with her relationship with Stefano. Alvise seems obsessed with reality; he plays minature war games based on the war in Vietnam, and at the same time he withdraws into his paralysis and his comic books. He vividly remembers his aunt putting to sleep her dog, who had been run over. Quick to seize an opportunity to destroy the longstanding affair, Alvise acts so grossly that soon they are alone at the villa, even the servants having left. Lea's passion is stimulated by a series of erotic games, but Alvise always ends them by refusing to make love as he had promised. As time passes, Lea eventually breaks off her relationship with Stefano, quits her job, and lives only for her nephew. Their games have become crueler; he forces her down a well and finally almost strangles her. Lea's sexual attraction to Alvise becomes stronger, however, as she bathes him and he masturbates in front of her. Upon the return of Alvise's parents, a final game is invented--"euthanasia." By now totally subjugated to her nephew's will, Lea follows his orders and administers a fatal injection which grants him ultimate release from reality.
Director
Salvatore Samperi
Cast
Lisa Gastoni
Lou Castel
Gabriele Ferzetti
Luisa De Santis
Nicoletta Rizzi
Massimo Sarchielli
Anita Dreyer
Crew
Sergio Bazzini
Enzo Doria
Alessandro Giselli
Giorgio Mecchia Maddalena
Ennio Morricone
Pier Giuseppe Murgia
Bruno Nicolai
Ugo Novello
Salvatore Samperi
Salvatore Samperi
Aldo Scavarda
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Opened in Rome in 1968; running time; 96 min. After east and west coast premieres the film was retitled Come Play With Me.
