The Seduction of Mimi

The seduction referenced in the title of this 1972 Lina Wertmüller film is only partly sexual. Giancarlo Giannini stars as Sicilian peasant Carmelo “Mimi” Mardocheo, whose leftist politics collide with Sicily's mob-dominated, feudalistic culture. As he heads north for new opportunities, Mimi finds himself repeatedly fudging his principles in order to protect his newfound happiness, which stems from several sources: his mistress Fiorella (Mariangela Melato), who is kept secret from his spouse, Rosalia (Agostina Belli); a series of promotions; and an affluence he never dreamed of. But he has the bad luck of stumbling into gangster dealings, so his future is constantly renegotiated. Wertmüller's third feature made her famous internationally and established Giannini as a defining presence in the director's raucous brand of social satire, which revels in the contradictions and absurdity of Italian machismo, double standards, and the ease with which values can be corrupted or bought. Giannini plays Mimi as a likable buffoon with no self-awareness, driven by sex and the instinct for survival, but trapped by his own compromises. There is nothing politically correct about the humor (one scene plays the seduction of an obese Catholic wife as a grotesque farce), but the punchy energy keeps the film entertaining. Available as a single Blu-ray or in a DVD box set along with Wertmüller's All Screwed Up and Love and Anarchy, extras include a stills gallery. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)