Generally speaking, Maladolescenza is NOT my kind of movie. Being a fan of Hunt for Red October, The Final Countdown, and the like, it was rather unusual for me to come across a movie such as Maladolescenza, much less order it. The DVD arrived last week and I have watched the movie twice since then. I am still stunned by it.
The movie is about three teenagers who spend their summer vacation together in the mountains of Austria (?). Laura (Lara Wendel), a 12 year old girl is helplessly in love with Fabrizio (Martin Loeb), an older boy who lives in the area where she is on vacation. She tries everything to get him to answer her love, but Fabrizio somehow gets a kick out of mentally and physically tormenting Laura. Her love for him lets her endure the pain he inflicts on her. However, events spiral out of control after Fabrizio and Laura encounter Sylvia (Eva Ionesco), who is on vacation in the same area.
Sylvia is every bit as cruel as Fabrizio, and both take great pleasure in tormenting Laura in every way possible (the "Hide-and-seek" scene, as well as the "Pit"-scene being the two most extreme scenes that come to mind). As the summer draws to a close, Fabrizio tries to convince Sylvia to remain. She refuses, and on their last day together, the drama reaches a murderous climax
This movie is definitely a masterpiece. Granted, it shows its age in the props, and the style the characters dress. Still it is a beautiful picture, with very atmospheric camera work, and a fitting soundtrack that ranges from beautiful to unnerving, even disturbing (Watch for the German traditional while Laura is being hunted by Sylvia and Fabrizio).
The three kids that I mentioned above in the plot are the only characters in this movie. They have to carry the whole movie, which makes their performance even more impressive. Lara Wendel is great in her portrayal of Laura, the innocent, naive 12-year old. You just can't help but feel sorry for the poor little thing. Eva Ionesco while being a beautiful girl, plays the part of the arrogant, cruel, manipulative Sylvia with perfection, although even her facade cracks during the last 10 minutes. As for Martin Loeb, I did not like him from the very start, which means that his portrayal of the sadistic punk is good as well, although I still think he is the weakest member of the cast. Don't get me wrong, I am commenting on their acting capabilities, not on the nude scenes in the movie. These kids were great actors for their age.
When Maladolescenza came out, it was decried as child pornography almost immediately, and the film was banned or heavily cut in many countries.
After watching this movie, I understood why it is one of the most controversial ones around. The theme of cruelty between kids, and the sexual awakening of adolescents is very dangerous territory to tread on. Still it shows that adolescents and teenagers are not the innocent angels that many adults like to think they are (as I had to find out the hard way), and it does so very well. As for the child porn allegations: A German legal board re-evaluated this movie this year, concluding that it contains no illegal or criminal material.
All in all a very controversial, cruel, but also very beautiful movie.
- BEGIN SPOILER -
The movie is about three teenagers who spend their summer vacation together in the mountains of Austria (?). Laura (Lara Wendel), a 12 year old girl is helplessly in love with Fabrizio (Martin Loeb), an older boy who lives in the area where she is on vacation. She tries everything to get him to answer her love, but Fabrizio somehow gets a kick out of mentally and physically tormenting Laura. Her love for him lets her endure the pain he inflicts on her. However, events spiral out of control after Fabrizio and Laura encounter Sylvia (Eva Ionesco), who is on vacation in the same area.
Sylvia is every bit as cruel as Fabrizio, and both take great pleasure in tormenting Laura in every way possible (the "Hide-and-seek" scene, as well as the "Pit"-scene being the two most extreme scenes that come to mind). As the summer draws to a close, Fabrizio tries to convince Sylvia to remain. She refuses, and on their last day together, the drama reaches a murderous climax
- SPOILER END -
This movie is definitely a masterpiece. Granted, it shows its age in the props, and the style the characters dress. Still it is a beautiful picture, with very atmospheric camera work, and a fitting soundtrack that ranges from beautiful to unnerving, even disturbing (Watch for the German traditional while Laura is being hunted by Sylvia and Fabrizio).
The three kids that I mentioned above in the plot are the only characters in this movie. They have to carry the whole movie, which makes their performance even more impressive. Lara Wendel is great in her portrayal of Laura, the innocent, naive 12-year old. You just can't help but feel sorry for the poor little thing. Eva Ionesco while being a beautiful girl, plays the part of the arrogant, cruel, manipulative Sylvia with perfection, although even her facade cracks during the last 10 minutes. As for Martin Loeb, I did not like him from the very start, which means that his portrayal of the sadistic punk is good as well, although I still think he is the weakest member of the cast. Don't get me wrong, I am commenting on their acting capabilities, not on the nude scenes in the movie. These kids were great actors for their age.
When Maladolescenza came out, it was decried as child pornography almost immediately, and the film was banned or heavily cut in many countries.
After watching this movie, I understood why it is one of the most controversial ones around. The theme of cruelty between kids, and the sexual awakening of adolescents is very dangerous territory to tread on. Still it shows that adolescents and teenagers are not the innocent angels that many adults like to think they are (as I had to find out the hard way), and it does so very well. As for the child porn allegations: A German legal board re-evaluated this movie this year, concluding that it contains no illegal or criminal material.
All in all a very controversial, cruel, but also very beautiful movie.