Bread & Chocolate – 1973
Director
Franco Brusati

Writers
Franco Brusati
Jaja Fiastri

Cast
Nino Manfredi
Anna Karina
Johnny Dorelli

Review by Wayne Malin

Saw it when I was 16

This played at a suburban cinema in my town back in 1978 when I was in high school. Back then they were sneaking foreign films from the city into the suburbs hoping to broaden their audiences (it didn’t work). I remember fighting with the ticket lady to get in. It didn’t have a rating originally but the theatre gave it an R on its own. When I pointed out that that was illegal (I was bluffing–I have no idea if it was legal or not) she quickly gave me the ticket.

The movie wasn’t THAT bad–there’s only some pretty tame female nudity here and there. As the the content I have never forgotten the first scene when the main character is in a beautiful forest enjoying the sunshine and birds–and then comes upon the bloody mutilated body of a little girl. The juxtaposition of beauty and horror shocked me and that scene has never left me. That aside I found the film quite funny–I didn’t try to understand what it was about. Back then I loved movies (and still do) and just saw anything I could see. The chicken coop sequence was uproarious and I found the waterfall sequence with the nude teenagers quite beautiful. I haven’t seen this film since 1978 (that’s when it opened in the U.S.) and I’m afraid to. I don’t think it will live up to my memories. Still, if you get a chance, I do recommend this movie.