| Randy Royalty |
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| written by talltale |
May 23, 2006 - 2:44 PM PDT |
Another in the later oeuvre of Italian writer/director Lina Wertmuller, FERNANDO & CAROLINA is a randy historical romp through 1800's royalty, specifically that of Italy (King Ferdinando I of Naples), as well as Austria and Spain. Like her 1996 "The Nymph," this 1999 movie is full of sex, though "F&C" is a lot lighter in tone--romantic and life-embracing while observing the concurrent political and, to a lesser extent, economic and medical conditions that could make life so, uh, tricky back then. Since this film deals mostly with royalty and the upper classes, expect some knockout views of castles, bedrooms and hallways. This is one eye-poppingly gorgeous movie.
Wertmuller's attitude--always pro-women but with an understanding and respect for men--has made her less than popular in some feminist circles but has stood her work well over time. She understands how and why sex, economics, politics and history come to bear on so many of our decisions, whether we're peasants or kings and queens. While the movie may not be all that accurate historically, I wager you'll watch it smiling and thinking, "Why not? They may very well have been just like this!" If we over-rated some of Wertmuller's earlier films ("Seven Beauties," "Swept Away"), her later work may be equally under-appreciated and certainly under-seen. |
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