The Double

La Controfigura

The Double

Italy 1971

D: Romolo Guerrieri (Girolami)

P: Gino Mordini for Claudia Cinematografica//St & Sc: Sauro Scavolini, Alessandro Continenza//DP: Carlo Carlini//E: Carlo Reali//M: Armando Trovaioli//Art D: Antonio Visone//Costume: Rosalba Menichelli//Makeup: Lamberto Marini//Color

Cast: Jean Sorel, Ev(w)a Aulin, Lucia Bosé, Silvano Tranquili, Marilú Tolo, Sergio Doria, Antonio Pierfederici, Bruno Boschetti, Giacomo Rossi-Stuart, Pupo De Luca

Frank, a failed architect, pulls into an underground parking lot and is promptly shot by a little old man. As he lays dying, he flashes back to the events that lead up to this moment. On a beach in Morocco, Frank and his wife Lucia make love. Frank becomes unnerved by the presence of a beach bum named Eddie. They retire to their motel room when they discover Lucia's mom, Nora, is coming to visit. It is obvious that Frank married Lucia because he's obsessed with her mother. Not long after she arrives, he attacks and rapes her. Meanwhile, Eddie and Nora appear to be getting along quite well which induces Frank to fantasize about killing him off in a variety of ways. When Nora leaves abruptly for Rome, Frank and Lucia follow her. Frank's excuse is to check on the family's failing business, but it's really to keep tabs on Nora. On his way to her apartment, he catches his first glimpse of the little old man who would eventually shoot him. He discovers the dead body of Eddie and thinking Nora must have killed him in a jealous rage, decides to help her out by disposing of the body. It turns out Nora was out of the country and completely unaware of Eddie's death. As Frank lies dying, the irony of his situation finally hits home, too late.

This film really plays cinematically with the concept of time. There are flashbacks within flashbacks (the film opens in just such a fashion), slow-motion shots and blurring of the action to represent the characters' fantasies, and repeating sequences several times, as in a loop. All are used to show Frank's inner turmoil as a character. It is a tour-de-force performance for Sorel who too often in this genre is only required to look pretty. Not this time, as he plays a fatally flawed, spoiled rich boy who can't ever seem to be happy, even when he gets what he wants. He's quite an unlikable character, yet you can't help but feel for his fate by film's end. Ewa Aulin is spectacular to look at (she has several rare nude scenes) and also successfully portrays a character who seems to crave for something she cannot have or even figure out what it is. The menage a trois is completed by Lucia Bosé's (LEGEND OF BLOOD CASTLE)  Nora. A mother who only wants her daughter to be happy, yet realizes that she will ultimately prove to be the biggest roadblock for that to happen. As a thriller this film fails rather spectacularly as there's only one murder, but the irony involved in that killing is so delicious that one can forgive the low body count. Director Romolo Guerrieri (Girolami) is the brother of Enzo Castellari (Girolami) and son of Mario Girolami, a very talented family of filmmakers. His other films in this genre, Il Dolce Corpo Di Deborah and Un Detective, make one wish he were as prolific as Lenzi or Martino. His talents are undeniable, especially his work with the actors. He has elicited some of the best performances from talents as diverse as Carroll Baker, Franco Nero and Jean Sorel.