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 “Well I’ll be damned, if it isn’t another wonderful film by director Damiano Damiani, the man who almost single-handedly turned me off to foreign film with the cinematic shit stains that are The Witch, and Amityville II: The Possession.”
This is the thought that traveled through my brain when I saw The Most Beautiful Wife on NoShame’s release calendar. It was also the same thought I had when I received it in the mail. It most certainly went through my head as I slid the disc into the DVD player. I, Shawn McLoughlin, am a glutton for punishment, which explains why I continue to smoke, date women and watch films from directors that I absolutely despise.
I absolutely despise Damiano Damiani.
At least I used to. This film made me only hate him quite a bit.
You see, the story of The Most Beautiful Wife, is fairly solid. Francesca is a very beautiful and very young peasant girl who, although already engaged, attracts the attention of Vito Juvara, the local Mafia don’s nephew. At first caught up in the whimsical romance, the relationship soon turns sour with Francesca as she becomes disappointed with the way Vito is treating her.
After Francesca attempts to leave him, Vito arranges for her kidnapping and rapes her, believing this will break her will, and force her into marriage. Francesca remains strong and refuses marriage, pressing charges against him instead. Branded a whore by the locals, and disowned by her own family due to continuous threats made against them, Francesca stands tall and continues to fight against traditions, expectations, and of course, Vito.
 The film, as you can tell, has a simple enough plot. It works though, because it is based on a true story. Francesca is based on Franca Viola, a real-life Sicilian teenager, who in 1965 was raped and successfully pursued her assailant (also nephew of the local Mafia don) until he was convicted. Really, the only thing changed were the names and dates, since Damiani and his co-writers chose to set the film after the earthquakes of 1968, which leaves Francesca's family in a desperate position. By making them so destitute, the viewer can understand why the family would want Francesca to drop the charges and allow the family to benefit from Vito’s wealth. Franca Viola’s case is an incredible one, and even more so when you conider that such subverted morality existed, and was endorsed publicly a mere forty years ago; it’s enough to make one sick. Thankfully, her struggle gained a lot of political attention, and was a significant moment in feminist history.
 The Most Beautiful Wife works exceptionally well in telling this story, but not quite so well in showing it. All of the actors do a phenomenal job. Ornella Muti, in her first screen role, plays Francesca. She seems remarkably well seasoned for such a young actress, and plays her character convincingly. Sadly, she is most well known to Western audiences for her role as the beautiful Princess Aura in the 1980 film Flash Gordon which, although a great film, is far too campy to show off her acting ability. Alessio Orano plays Vito Juvara. He isn’t the most threatening Mafia representation that the silver screen has ever offered, but there is no doubt that the actor has presence and an incredible set of blue eyes that definitely help further blur the difference between beauty and ferocity. Ironically enough, the two leads did end up getting married in real life, but only for a short period of time.
 Damiani’s direction is fairly stagnant, with only a few interesting scenes to note. The most interesting of which is the engagement dinner that almost immediately follows Francesca’s rape. Believing that she will now be forced to marry him, Vito had a party prearranged. The camera picks up the faces of various party guets without following who is speaking, making for an unsettling experience. Adding to this effect is the crashing Ennio Morricone score which creates a feeling that you want to get up and leave along with Francesca. It’s very effective, but the rest of the film lacks a similar style. It’s mostly average.
This was a hard movie to grade, because I feel that the story is excellent, and the performers were exceptional. It could have been a hell of a lot better in more creative hands. As it stands, The Most Beautiful Wife is a solid film, and well worth going out of your way to see.
 The DVD Presentation
As usual, NoShame’s presentation is of top quality. The film is presented in its original widescreen aspect ratio, and anamorphically enhanced. I didn’t notice many imperfections at all. The film is a bit soft, but that is mostly due to the film stock, and many Italian films of the era have a similar look. Still, it’s safe to say that this is the best that The Most Beautiful Wife has ever looked. The sound is also impressive, considering it is from a Mono track. The score and sound effects are crisp and never overwhelm the dialogue. English subtitles are naturally included. Overall, it’s another damn fine NoShame release.
And the Extras Are?
Introduction by director Damiano Damiani - (0:59)
Little more than it claims, Damiani simply thanks us for watching his film and hopes we enjoy it.
Sicily, Ornella, The Mafia and Beyond - (45:39)
A collection of interviews are included here. Among them, we get to hear from Damiani himself, assistant director Mino Giarda, editor Antonio Siciliano, actor Alessio Orano and director of photography Franco Di Giacomo. It’s lengthy, but it covers everything you could really want to know about the film. I particularly found interesting the discussion as to how Ornella Muti was handled differently as an actress since she was only 14 at the time of filming. It’s also fascinating to see how age really hasn’t been kind to Alessio Orano. Damiani also appears to be the humorless fuck I always expected him to be.
 Original Theatrical Trailer - (3:36)
A standard film trailer although a bit overdramatically narrated. Surprisingly, it doesn’t even pretend to sell itself based on the fact that it’s inspired by a true story.
Collectable Booklet –
NoShame’s booklets are always awesome, and this set’s is no different. This time out we get a very comprehensive write up on the film as well as the true story that inspired it. There are also biographies on director Damiano Damiani and actress Ornella Muti. Both very well written and full of interesting information.
The Bottom Line
I’ve dismissed Damiano Damiani as a complete schmuck in the past, but I admit that The Most Beautiful Wife is fairly well made, interesting and entertaining. The direction is far from inspired, but for what is essentially a straightforward bio-pic, it works well and I was grateful for the few places where the visuals flourished. Amityville II or The Witch, this is not. I hope that NoShame continues to release Damiani’s films with this high level of quality – but I hope they only release the good ones.
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