I saw this movie at its theatrical release in 1977. It was so heavily cut that essential parts of the plot were missing. I just now saw the new DVD edition and I was smitten just how good this movie is! At its original theatrical release vilified as child pornography it didn't get the attention it deserved. And it couldn't get proper appreciation because the mutilated theatrical release version was a great nothing with most of the essential scenes
*SPOILER*
even the murder at the end
*END SPOILER*
having been cut out. When I saw it first in 1977 it practically left no impression on me whatsoever whereas the uncut version left me completely speechless and unsettled about just how evil it is. Even though it is beautifully photographed, has a fantastic score and is extremely well acted by the three young actors, it is by now means pleasant to watch. It is a movie that you will often think about long after you have seen it. This one will really haunt you, take my word for it! Just a word on the DVD edition that seems to be the only source for the integral version. The releasing company cannot be praised enough for making this film now accessible after 27 years but they could have done a better job with the anamorphic transfer. They could have cleaned the film of disturbing artefacts and they should have been more careful with the English subtitles for the original Italian version. Apparently they have translated the German dialog book because there are things translated in the subtitles that are not said and things that are said are not translated! It is a total mess! And at the end when Fabrizio sits silently on a rock in the cave
*SPOILER*
after just having murdered Sylvia and having sent Laura away, I repeat, sitting there in complete silence after having committed the murder, the subtitles translate the silence telling us that "it was a hot summer, the two girls were the first love I had and I have never seen them again"!!! The German version has a voice-over telling even more precisely that the murdered girl is now a high-school teacher! Such a complete nonsense, but clear if you know that the murder scene had been completely omitted in the theatrical release version and that this was the incredibly cheesy original theatrical ending with the voice over narration suggesting that they had just left for home after their vacation in the mountains!
*END SPOILER*
The releasing company should really have made the subtitles according to the spoken word and not according to the German dialog book! Anyway: This film is an absolute masterpiece and I can highly recommend it. I gave it 9/10 deducting one point for the obvious exploitation intention it was made with.
*SPOILER*
even the murder at the end
*END SPOILER*
having been cut out. When I saw it first in 1977 it practically left no impression on me whatsoever whereas the uncut version left me completely speechless and unsettled about just how evil it is. Even though it is beautifully photographed, has a fantastic score and is extremely well acted by the three young actors, it is by now means pleasant to watch. It is a movie that you will often think about long after you have seen it. This one will really haunt you, take my word for it! Just a word on the DVD edition that seems to be the only source for the integral version. The releasing company cannot be praised enough for making this film now accessible after 27 years but they could have done a better job with the anamorphic transfer. They could have cleaned the film of disturbing artefacts and they should have been more careful with the English subtitles for the original Italian version. Apparently they have translated the German dialog book because there are things translated in the subtitles that are not said and things that are said are not translated! It is a total mess! And at the end when Fabrizio sits silently on a rock in the cave
*SPOILER*
after just having murdered Sylvia and having sent Laura away, I repeat, sitting there in complete silence after having committed the murder, the subtitles translate the silence telling us that "it was a hot summer, the two girls were the first love I had and I have never seen them again"!!! The German version has a voice-over telling even more precisely that the murdered girl is now a high-school teacher! Such a complete nonsense, but clear if you know that the murder scene had been completely omitted in the theatrical release version and that this was the incredibly cheesy original theatrical ending with the voice over narration suggesting that they had just left for home after their vacation in the mountains!
*END SPOILER*
The releasing company should really have made the subtitles according to the spoken word and not according to the German dialog book! Anyway: This film is an absolute masterpiece and I can highly recommend it. I gave it 9/10 deducting one point for the obvious exploitation intention it was made with.