| Commedia sexy all'italiana | |
|---|---|
_-_Laura_Antonelli.jpg) | |
| Years active | 1970s–1980s |
| Location | Italy |
| Major figures | (Actresses)Edwige Fenech,Barbara Bouchet,Laura Antonelli,Nadia Cassini andGloria Guida (Actors)Lando Buzzanca,Lino Banfi,Carlo Giuffrè,Pippo Franco,Alvaro Vitali, andRenzo Montagnani |
| Influences | commedia all'italiana |
Thecommedia sexy all'italiana (Italian:[komˈmɛːdjaˈsɛksiallitaˈljaːna], lit. "sex comedy Italian style"), also known ascommedia scollacciata ("low-cut comedy") orcommedia erotica all'italiana, is a subgenre of the Italiancommedia all'italianafilm genre.
Commedia sexy is characterized typically by both abundant female nudity and comedy, and by the minimal weight given to social criticism that was the basic ingredient of the maincommedia all'italiana genre.[1] Stories are often set in affluent environments such as wealthy households. It is closely connected to thesexual revolution, and it was something extremely new and innovative for that period. For the first time, films with female nudity could be watched at the cinema. Pornography and scenes of explicit sex were still forbidden in Italian cinemas, but partial nudity was somewhat tolerated. The genre has been described as a cross betweenbawdy comedy and humorouserotic film with ampleslapstick elements which follows more or less clichéd storylines.
This subgenre has its roots in several different series of films. Themondo film genre popularized nudity, shifting the limits of what could be shown in the Italian cinema. A series of successfulcommedia all'italiana of the sixties (such asPietro Germi'sSignore & Signori (1966) andDino Risi'sVedo nudo (1969)) focused on Italian hypocrisy and shame about sexual taboos, popularizing sex-based plots.
Thecommedia sexy was very successful commercially between the 1970s and early 1980s, although it was generally panned by critics (with a few exceptions such as several comedies starringLando Buzzanca), and then declined when female nudity became common in Italian mainstream cinema, television and magazines, and whenpornographic films became more widely available.[1]
Pier Paolo Pasolini'sTrilogy of Life (consisting ofThe Decameron (1971),Canterbury Tales (1972) andArabian Nights (1974), and inspired by the tales ofGiovanni Boccaccio'sDecameron,Geoffrey Chaucer'sThe Canterbury Tales and theOne Thousand and One Nights) contained nudity and sex-based plots. However, Pasolini'sTrilogy of Life is not an example ofcommedia sexy all'italiana because, despite its erotic content, it is rooted in literary adaptation and ideological critique rather than the commercialized, formulaic humor and titillation typical of thecommedia sexy all'italiana genre. That being said, Pasolini’s trilogy did inspire thecommedia sexy all'italiana indirectly, as its success helped popularize erotic themes and period settings, which commercial filmmakers then imitated and exaggerated in a more vulgar, comedic, and less intellectual style typical of the genre. The success of these films and the relaxation of Italian censors, beginning from the early 1970s, paved the way for dozens of soft-core productions set in medieval or Renaissance times, collectively known asdecamerotici (singular:decamerotico; alternative terms includedecameronico anddecamerone, as well asboccaccesco).[1][2][3][4] The wave ofdecamerotici lasted from 1971 (starting withIn Love, Every Pleasure Has Its Pain) until the end of 1975, with an early peak in 1972.[5] In total, about 50decamerotici were produced.[6]
Other very popular subgenres (Italian:sottofiloni) of thecommedia sexy all'italiana included high school (Italian:scolastica), military (Italian:militare), hospital (Italian:ospedaliera), police (Italian:poliziottesca)[7] and family comedies (Italian:familiare).
Thecommedia sexy launched the careers of several actresses, includingEdwige Fenech, commonly considered the quintessential star of the genre;María Baxa andGloria Guida, the staple lead actress ofcoming-of-age films and the popularLa liceale series in the mid-1970s; andNadia Cassini who was promoted as a successor to Fenech in the late 1970s. Many actresses who had gained earlier success in other genres moved tocommedia sexy and became well known within the genre, such asFemi Benussi in the mid-1970s andBarbara Bouchet in the late 1970s. Theglamour modelsAnna Maria Rizzoli andCarmen Russo also followed this route in the early 1980s, a period when the genre was starting to fade in popularity.
The genre is also identified with a number of prominent male comedians and actors, includingLando Buzzanca,Lino Banfi,Carlo Giuffrè,Pippo Franco,Alvaro Vitali, andRenzo Montagnani.[1][2]
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