What? (Che?, also variously titled Quoi?, Was?, and Diary of Forbidden Dreams) is a 1972 comedy film co-written and directed by Roman Polanski and starring Sydne Rome, Marcello Mastroianni, Hugh Griffith and Romolo Valli.[2]
| What? | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Roman Polanski |
| Written by | Roman Polanski Gérard Brach |
| Produced by | Carlo Ponti |
| Starring | Sydne Rome Marcello Mastroianni Hugh Griffith Romolo Valli Roman Polanski |
| Cinematography | Marcello Gatti Giuseppe Ruzzolini |
| Edited by | Alastair McIntyre |
| Music by | Claudio Gizzi[1] |
| Distributed by | NPF Planfilm |
Release date |
|
Running time | 110 minutes |
| Countries | Italy France Germany |
| Languages | English Italian French |
Plot
editSet in an unnamed coastal city in Italy, the film tells a story of an American girl, Nancy, who takes shelter in a villa filled with strange guests. There, she gets into a relationship with a retired pimp, Alex.
Cast
edit- Sydne Rome as Nancy
- Marcello Mastroianni as Alex
- Hugh Griffith as Joseph Noblart
- Romolo Valli as Giovanni
- Roman Polanski as Mosquito (Uncredited)
- Guido Alberti as Priest
- Gianfranco Piacentini as Tony
- Carlo Delle Piane as Young Oaf #1 in Car
- Mario Bussolino as Young Oaf #2 in Car
- Henning Schlüter as Catone
- Christiane Barry as Dresser
- Pietro Tordi as Man-Servant
- Nerina Montagnani as Chambermaid
- Mogens von Gadow as German
- Dieter Hallervorden as German
- Elisabeth Witte as Baby
- John Karlsen as Edward
- Roger Middleton as Jimmy
- Alvaro Vitali
- Francois Perier as Enzo
- Renate Langer as Naked Girl with Hat (uncredited)
Production
editIn 2017, Renate Langer accused Roman Polanski of raping her in 1972, when she was 15, just before and during the filming of this movie.[3]
Filming
editThe film was shot on location in Amalfi, Italy, in a villa owned by the producer, Carlo Ponti. Some of the action was improvised.[4][5]
Reception
editJohn Simon of the National Review described What? as a 'monstrous fiasco'.[6] Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times gave an apparently-reedited version titled Diary of Forbidden Dreams a half star out of four, and said the film confirmed his "long-held suspicion that, when it comes right down to it, there's a nasty streak of misogyny in Polanski."[7]
References
edit- ^ "Exclusive Interview with Composer Claudio Gizzi". Fangoria. Retrieved 2012-04-10.
- ^ Vincent Canby (1973-10-04). "Che? (1973) Film: X-Rated Polanski: What?". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
- ^ "Former German Actress Accuses Roman Polanski of Raping Her When She Was 15". www.vulture.com. 3 October 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
- ^ Rabin, Nathan (October 28, 2009). "Polanski-tastic Sick-Fuck Case File #149: What?". The A.V. Club. Onion. Retrieved 2009-11-01.
- ^ ""Che?" di Roman Polanski Sydne Rome in un mondo di pazzi". Retrieved 27 August 2013.
- ^ Simon, John (1982). Reverse Angle: A Decade of American Film. Crown Publishers Inc. p. 156. ISBN 9780517544716.
- ^ Roger Ebert (21 September 1976). "Diary of Forbidden Dreams movie review (1976)". www.rogerebert.com. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
External links
edit
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