The Queens

Starring: Monica Vitti, Enrico Maria Salerno, Claudia Cardinale, Gastone Moschin, Raquel Welch, Jean Sorel, Alberto Sordi, Capucine, Anthony Steel, Olga Villi, Corrado Olmi
Directed by: Mauro Bolognini (segment), Mario Monicelli (segment), Antonio Pietrangeli (segment), Luciano Salce (segment)
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Comedy
1966

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Four unrelated short stories all follow different women and the men around them.

Review:

Tim: I enjoyed The Queens (which is the U.S. title, the Italian one is Sex Quartet). I haven't seen too many episodic commedia all'italiana films, so it was enlightening in many ways. I believe the film has some flaws, but overall, provided a nice range of different stories, actors and actresses, and directors. It also helped me to understand the type of Italian comedies that were popular in the 1960s. This is a film I'm glad I saw.

I've never been a huge fan of episodic films- it inevitably ends up that the bad ones take too long to finish and the good ones end too soon. That didn't really happy here, surprisingly. I felt like each of the stories was self-contained and spent the time they needed to. Yes, I could quibble about one getting a bit more time or another running a bit too long, but those were minor issues I had. The four short films keep the pace moving, so that the overall movie never feels too long. This is impressive, as you had four different directors and four different casts, but each was able to feel like part of a complete whole. That doesn't happen very often in episodic films like this.

The film starts with the "Queen Sabina" sequence. This was a great one to start the film because it puts its comedy front-and-center and it sets the tone for the rest of the movie. Luciano Salce does play attempted rape for laughs, which is beyond problematic by today's standards. I understand this was acceptable in the 1960s, so while I may frown at it, I recognize the historical and societal context at the time the film was released. It doesn't mean I like it, but I understand. Monica Vitti is the star of the first sequence and she delivers a truly effective performance. She's flighty and over-the-top, but it's all in great fun. This segment might be the hardest to stomach because of the way it lightly treats its serious subject matter, but it's really focused on the comedy aspects and I appreciated that. It moves very quickly.

"Queen Armenia" is the second sequence and this one feels more serious- it's more interested in balancing comedy with drama. Mario Monicelli directs this one and it's the segment that feels like it has the most depth- it's the one that felt like it could have been fleshed out into a feature film. Claudia Cardinale is a scheming gypsy (again, it was the 1960s in Italy, we have to recognize the time to understand the stereotype). I thought Cardinale did a fantastic job- she is gruff and demanding, challenging everyone around her. It was a terrific showcase for her talent, as she steps into this unexpected role. It definitely allowed her to display her talent and act counter to the typical roles she would get. Gastone Moschin gives a strong performance in this one as well. He plays against Cardinale exceptionally well. This story was the least humorous to me for multiple reasons. Side note, I didn't care for how they handled the baby in this one- the 1960s were wild. Still, while not very funny, Monicelli does a great job of establishing characters you're interested in. The ending of the segment wraps up really well.

"Queen Elena" is segment three and Mauro Bolognini's work feels like the least complete out of the three. It felt like not quite a full story, although I acknowledge it has the best ending of any of the segments. This one prominently features Raquel Welch. You can tell she has talent, but she doesn't give the best performance- it's not very believable. Her role here is definitely a visual one- she's striking poses, stretching, using her physicality in a sultry performance. I felt a bit bad for her- how much the segment focused on her looks, verses giving her an opportunity to really act. Jean Sorel is definitely solid in this segment as the wandering husband. He gives a worthwhile performance. I still liked this one- the story is entertaining. I wish the characters and the story had been fleshed out a bit more.

The final segment is "Queen Marta". It felt a bit too long to me and it was likely my least favorite. That being said, it's probably the best written segment of the four. This one places Alberto Sordi in the lead role. He gives a good performance, but it felt like his character got too much screen time. Capucine is very much a supporting character in this story. I would have liked more focus on her character. Instead, we see everything through Sordi's character's eyes. This one is still effective, I just didn't like it as much as some others.

I really appreciated The Queens for showcasing so much Italian talent. I learned a good deal about Italian comedy in the 1960s and I got to see so many talented Italian actors. I don't know if I'll ever love these episodic films, but this was absolutely a good one.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



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