Marilu Carteny Movies

On a spiritual quest, a British scholar (John Steiner) travels to the beautiful and exotic island of Bali with a photographer and his wife. The scholar has two native wives and a native boyfriend, a sculptor. The photographer has a native mistress, and encounters a missionary with a nymphomaniac daughter. Filled with spectacular photography, the film's focus remains on the characters' problems and the quirks and joys of cross-cultural encounters, developing the native characters in unusual depth. This may frustrate those hoping for a more sexually explicit treatment of the characters' romantic difficulties, as in director Liberatore's previous film, the famously pornographic Bora Bora. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

In Sergio Leone's epic Western, shot partly in Monument Valley, a revenge story becomes an epic contemplation of the Western past. To get his hands on prime railroad land in Sweetwater, crippled railroad baron Morton (Gabriele Ferzetti) hires killers, led by blue-eyed sadist Frank (Henry Fonda), who wipe out property owner Brett McBain (Frank Wolff) and his family. McBain's newly arrived bride, Jill (Claudia Cardinale), however, inherits it instead. Both outlaw Cheyenne (Jason Robards) and lethally mysterious Harmonica (Charles Bronson) take it upon themselves to look after Jill and thwart Frank's plans to seize her land. As alliances and betrayals mutate, it soon becomes clear that Harmonica wants to get Frank for another reason -- it has "something to do with death." As in his "Dollars" trilogy, Leone transforms the standard Western plot through the visual impact of widescreen landscapes and the figures therein. At its full length, Once Upon a Time in the West is Leone's operatic masterwork, worthy of its legend-making title. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide

It is early in the 20th century, and an American traveler has come to Mexico at just the wrong time to continue living a peaceful life, for the Revolution has begun and he quickly finds himself in the thick of it. At first, he is right in the middle between government troops and the revolutionaries and bandidos as they attack a train. Later, he finds himself among the decidedly scruffy-looking revolutionaries and even finds some romantic interest in a hot-tempered girl who is among them. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

This is a documentary-style Italian drama chronicling the rise and fall of the title character, a real-life Mob chieftain who rose to prominence in post-WWII Sicily. Salvatore Giuliano himself is almost unseen and his career is recalled in flashbacks after his assassination in 1950. With the help of his right-hand man and cousin Gaspare Pisciotta (Frank Wolff), Salvatore becomes a guerilla leader whose resistance to the corrupt politicians dominating his post-war nation leads to his popularity among the Sicilian peasant class. As time passes, though, Salvatore becomes more of a criminal than a rebel, threatening Mafia income. Even Salvatore's own devoted followers begin to doubt him, and when he orders the slaughter of communist supporters at a rally, a bloody shootout with police ensues. Salvatore Giuliano (1962) was such an effective anti-organized crime film that it inspired a real-life investigation into Mob activities in Sicily. The Giuliano story was later filmed as The Sicilian (1987) starring Christopher Lambert as the title character. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

The superb cinematography of Aldo Tonti adds immeasureably to the enjoyment of Souvenir D'Italie. The story revolves around three lovely young ladies: Margaret (June Laverick) from England, Hilde (Ingeborg Schoener) from Germany and Josette (Isabelle Corey) from France. Hitchhiking through Northern Italy, our three heroines enjoy numerous picaresque adventures. Some of the best scenes involve Alberto Sordi as a self-styled gigolo whose charms fail to impress the trio of lovelies. Likewise amusing is Vittorio de Sica in an extended cameo role. An English-language version of Souvenir D'Italie was prepared simultaneously by British producer J. Arthur Rank. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide