Seduced and Abandoned (1964)

 Pietro Germi's "Seduced and Abandoned"


In the era of the Italian-style comedy, Pietro Germi rose above the rest as a master of the genre. After his phenomenal 1961 film "Divorce Italian Style," he continued to master the form with "Seduced and Abandoned." A belly-laughing critique of Sicilian social customs, "Seduced and Abandoned" is a whirlwind comedy full of hijinks and satire.

The film stars Stefania Sandrelli as Agnese, who has a brief affair with with her sister's fiancé, Peppino. After her traditional parents discover this, her father embarks on a farcical journey to protect his family's reputation by convincing Peppino to marry Agnese. There are, of course, complications.

The film is told in typical Italian-style comedy fashion, with absurd complications to the story and bellowing hijinks. To me, "Seduced and Abandoned" demonstrates a comfortability the genre has within itself. It ventures away from the realms of newfound experimenting and 'figuring out' what it is and into a realms of completionism. 

Of course, the comedy in the film is far more pointed than expected. The film unravels and identifies the laughably absurd concepts of adhering so strictly to 'honor' - and the hypocritical reaches our characters go to preserve it. 



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