MovieChat Forums > Maladolescenza (1977) Discussion > Sergio Leone LOVED this film!

Sergio Leone LOVED this film!

posted 12 years ago by filmscholar35
3 replies | jump to latest

This film, while considered a lot more shocking and controversial today, was actually quite acclaimed and well-received when it was new.

Looking at some old newspaper ads from the papers in Italy at the time (May 1977), the movie's ads used quotes from critics and other film people to promote the film (very common at the time). Among these quotes was one from Sergio Leone (THE Sergio Leone, of "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly", "Once Upon a Time in the West", and "Once Upon a Time in America" fame), wherein he says of "Maladolescenza", "This is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen in my life. About the transformation of life and life already aware of regret and nostalgia for an impossible innocence."

Italian filmmaker Marco Ferreri (of "Dillinger is Dead" fame) also raves about it.

Another quote is from an Italian film critic, who calls it, "Scandalous yet heartbreaking. A film that is true of our times. A film both brilliant and problematic."

The film also topped the box office for several weeks in Italy in the summer of 1977. Looking at the box office charts then, there was a week in May 1977 where "Maladolescenza" ranks higher at the box office than "Rocky"!!!

Also, the film was released in the USA in a few theaters in September 1978, by Roger Corman's company, New World Pictures (who released both art house films and drive-in exploitation back then). It opened in NYC in two theaters, and played without incident. It eventually played in several major cities in art house type theaters before leaving theaters and disappearing from America forever.

Just some interesting trivia, is all. It is very hard to find much info about this film nowadays, when people today find it shocking and depraved for the most part.

[–] Falconeer 12 years ago

I'm not at all surprised to hear other acclaimed film makers appreciated this film; it is really beautiful and extremely well made. And there are only 3 people in the whole movie, which is almost unheard of. Cinematography is gorgeous, as is the soundtrack. and of course Sergio Leone can appreciate controversy. The only thing that surprises me is that this one played in theaters in the US. It shows how different things were back then. the 70's were truly a great time for cinema. I wonder if the version they played was the cut version though..

"IMdB; where 14 year olds can act like jaded 40 year old critics...'

[–] filmscholar35 12 years ago

I can't seem to find out if it was uncut or cut slightly when New World released it in 1978.

But, it apparently caused little to no controversy. (It likely went largely unnoticed).

The closest it came to controversy was when it was simply lumped in with several other films in a 20/20 TV newsmagazine segment about a debate that very year around a (then) new law making child pornography illegal. They showed clips and mentioned Jodie Foster in "Taxi Driver", Brooke Shields in "Pretty Baby", and showed a brief clip from "Maladolescenza". They were discussing the use of underage actors in such roles, as well as the sexualization of teen models and the actual Child porn industry. This segemnt was aired in October '78, just prior to the law being passed. "Maladolescenza" disappeared after this new law went into effect. It has never been commercially released in any form in the USA since. If it had been a few months later, it may never have been released at all.

However, views certainly WERE different then.

That year's Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Film was Bertrand Blier's "Get Out Your Handkerchiefs", which was an acclaimed, art house favorite. And the next year, "The Tin Drum" co-won the Palme d'or at Cannes and the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. Both of those films would cause massive controversy today.

[–] 12 years ago

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