by Mark Murton
Directed by: Paolo and Vittorio Taviani
This review contains a Mild Kitty Carnage Warning!
Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for one segment of this film!
Synopsis: Portmanteau film set in early 20th century Sicily weaving together four different but related stories based on the work of Pirandello. The second story, Mal di Luna (Moon Sickness), concerns a newly-wed peasant girl Sidora (Enrica Maria Modugno) who is horrified to discover her husband Batà (Claudio Bigagli) becomes violently disturbed each full moon. In an effort to save his marriage Batà arranges for Sidora’s mother and handsome cousin Saro (Massimo Bonetti) to spend the full-moon nights at their place to protect her.
Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): On the night of the first full moon since they married, Batà implores Sidora to lock herself in the house and not to let him inside. The next morning Sidora emerges to find Batà lying unconscious on the ground outside the door. Nearby is a dog that snarls viciously at her when she tries to leave. At first she threatens the angry pooch with a large stick but to no avail so she retreats inside, re-emerging a few seconds later carrying a surprised gray and white tabby kitten.
She launches the cat at the dog.
The kitten lands on the dog’s face and clings on with its claws!
The cat climbs on top of the (incredibly tolerant) dog’s head before turning around, jumping down and running off.
The cat is seen just once more in a gentler scene when Sidora’s mother and cousin Saro, who she had designs on until her mother insisted he wasn’t marriage material, arrive to stay with her on the night of the next full moon. Feeling betrayed that her husband didn’t tell her about his condition prior to their marriage Sidora prays, “Let me know love, just this once,” and plans to seduce Saro while they are locked up in the house (her mother having conveniently opted to be locked in the barn!) As Saro sits holding the kitten on his lap, Sidora joins him and also starts stroking the cat until he realises her intentions and quickly deposits the kitty on the floor.
Final Mewsings: Cats don’t appreciate being hurled at growling dogs.
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