Sanguepazzo (2008) aka Wild Blood

Director: Marco Tullio Giordana
Cast:
Monica Bellucci...Luisa Ferida
Alessio Boni...Golfiero Goffredi/Taylor
Luca Zingaretti...Osvaldo Valenti
Maurizio Donadoni...Vero Marozin
Tresy Taddei...Irene
Luigi Diberti...Cardi
Massimo Sarchielli...Guercio
Mattia Sbragia...Alfiero Corazza
Alessandro Di Natale...Dalmazio
Giovanni Visentin...Sturla
Paolo Bonanni...Pietro Koch
Gilberto Arrivabene...Capitano
Mohammed Aden ...Ambasciatore Haiti
Aurora Quattrocchi...Contessa
Manrico Gammarota...Podestà

Description:
Sangue Pazzo(tainted blood) directed by Marco Tullio Giordana will be screened out of competition at the Cannes Festival 2008.

It tells the story of two famous Italian actors, Luisa Ferida and Osvaldo Valenti.
The two were sentimentally involved and had strong links to the fascist party, so when Mussolin fell and founded the Salo Republic they were at his side.
Spoilers ahead - Highlight to read:
The epilogue was somehow very sad and dramatic.
The couple was arrested by partisans and shot in the street without any trial. In the movie Luisa Ferida is played by Monica Bellucci and Osvaldo Valenti by Luca Zingaretti.

For people who were already moviegoers during WW2, this movie is a gem, because it is impossible to forget the extraordinary performances given by Osvaldo Valenti during his brief career. I well remember one of his deliveries in LA CENA DELLE BEFFE , perhaps his best movie. It is understandable that Tullio Giordana nourished his project for more than 25 years, and it is impossible not to be touched by Luigi Zingaretti's interpretation of Richard III.("A kingdom for a horse!") It is a long movie (2 1/2 hours) and at least the first half is excellent, because of the description of the atmosphere during the unfortunate war fought by Mussolini "to please his master".

This was a well structured, well crafted film with excellent acting throughout even if it was, at times, somewhat overacted with Monica Belluci the main culprit. The spirit of this film is, I think, summed up by a wonderful scene where the Osvaldo and Luisa are hiding in the secret room of a country residence, all Ann Frank, with Osvaldo going through a sickening bout of withdrawal from morphine and cocaine. So bad is he, in fact, that as a peasant girl watches, Luisa reaches in to Osvaldo's pants and masturbates him to sleep before wiping her hand on the blanket and embracing the child, encouraging her to pursue love and iterating that it is a truly wonderful thing, even if the scene she's just witnessed is horrid. The girl goes on to get raped and murdered. You wouldn't get this in Hollywood. Though provoking, challenging, interesting, mobile.