There can be no doubt that Luchino Visconti was a master at putting together a film with class, style and beauty - and this is no different. A magnificent score from Franco Mannino (with plenty of classical assistance) and some fabulous cinematography from Pasqualiono de Santis breath much life into this - but not enough to compensate for a rather flawed, empty story with three really rather underwhelming performances. Tullio Hermil is "Giancarlo" a rather shallow pig of a man, who is married to Laura Antonelli ("Giuliana") and lives in their grand country palace whilst he constantly parades his glamorous mistress Jennifer O'Neill ("Teresa") for all to see. When he begins to suspect, however, that his wife has been ploughing her own furrow, he begins to get jealous and as with so many in the situation yearns for what he can no longer have. There is a real inevitability about how it will end and although our route to this denouement is bestrewn with gorgeousness and chic, Antonelli constantly reminded me of Anne Bancroft without, regrettably, the sophistication and charm and O'Neill, though certainly beautiful was almost as shallow as her paramour.

"L'Innocente" is a pretty film to watch. This can be said for just about all the films of Luchino Visconti that I have seen. He really knew how to make a quality film--great sets, lovely costumes and nice cinematography. However, I will also say that I hardly ever have enjoyed a Visconti film (with the exception of "Rocco and His Brothers" and perhaps one or two others). While they look great, they also move at a glacial place and feature characters I really couldn't care less for...and this makes for very slow viewing. Artsy folks and critics LOVE films like "The Leopard", "The Damned" and "Death in Venice", I just found them to be overlong and curiously uninvolving.

I could say all this about Visconti's final film, "L'Innocente"-- a film that once again looks great but also have no one in the film that you care one bit about as well as glacial pacing. Even the sight of an incredibly beautiful naked woman in some incredibly graphic scenes weren't enough to make the film interesting-- something that is VERY difficult to achieve. I could talk about the story, but frankly it COULD have been interesting...but wasn't. My only thrill came at the end when one of the characters killed themselves...at least then I knew it was finally complete!