Zenabel
| Zenabel | |
|---|---|
 Italian film poster | |
| Directed by | Ruggero Deodato |
| Screenplay by |
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| Story by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Roberto Reale[1] |
| Edited by | Antonietta Zita[1] |
| Music by | Bruno Nicolai[1] |
Production companies |
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Release date |
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Running time | 90 minutes |
| Countries |
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Zenabel is a 1969 film directed by Ruggero Deodato.
Plot
[edit]The film is set in 1627 and is about a young woman named Zenabel (Lucretia Love) who finds out that she is the daughter of a Duke who was killed by the Spanish Baron Imolne. Zenabel gathers a group of women to lead them to fight against Imolne to exact revenge.
Cast
[edit]- Lucretia Love as Zenabel
- John Ireland as Don Alonso Imolne
- Lionel Stander as Pancrazio
- Mauro Parenti as Gennaro
- Fiorenzo Fiorentini as Cecco
- Elisa Mainardi as Zenabel's friend
- Luigi Leoni as Baldassarre
- Andrea Scotti as Don Carlos
- Dada Gallotti as Carmelita
- Ignazio Leone as Guard
Production
[edit]Zenabel was directed by Ruggero Deodato to work again with producer and actor Mauro Parenti, who he had worked with previously on Phenomenal and the Treasure of Tutankhamen.[2] The title role was given to Lucretia Love, Parenti's wife at the time, and Parenti also demanded an acting role for himself, and was given that of the bandit Gennaro.[3] John Ireland played the role of the villain Baron Alfonso Imolde.[3]
The film was shot in Bracciano in Rome and Tuscania.[2] Deodato recalls during a scene in Tuscania's main square where Love's character is about to be burned alive, John Ireland was missing.[3] Ireland was at the Hilton Hotel in Rome waiting for his check as the producer had not paid him yet.[3] When Ireland arrived on set, he refused to give an act in a scene that was to give the signal to light Zenabel aflame.[3][4] Ireland refused to act not knowing the character's motivation, which led to Deodato giving him a dwarf actor in his arms like a baby to light to signal which pleased Ireland and let him complete the scene.[4]
Release
[edit]Zenabel was released in Italy in December 1969.[1][4] Italian film critic and historian Roberto Curti stated that the film was a "financial disaster" in Italy as it was released during the same week as the Piazza Fontana bombing.[4] Deodato later stated that he put his "heart and soul into Zenabel, but the film was affected by the lack of a popular lead actress."[3]
The film was re-released in France in 1975 under the title La Furie du Desir with hardcore pornography scenes added.[5] These scenes were directed by Claude Mulot.[5]
Reception
[edit]In a retrospective overview of Deodato's career, Louis Paul, author of Italian Horror Film Directors, stated that Zenabel was "Deodato's first film where he exhibits a unique persona as director".[6]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]Footnotes
[edit]Sources
[edit]- Curti, Roberto (2016). Diabolika: Supercriminals, Superheroes and the Comic Book Universe in Italian Cinema. Midnight Marquee Press. ISBN 978-1-936168-60-6.
- Paul, Louis (2005). Italian Horror Film Directors. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-8749-3.