''Corruption'' ( it, La corruzione) is a 1963 Italian

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by

Mauro Bolognini Mauro Bolognini (28 June 1922 – 14 May 2001) was an Italian film and stage director of literate sensibility, known for his masterly handling of period subject matter. Early years Bolognini was born in Pistoia, in the Tuscany region of Italy. ...

Plot

A young man upon finishing college announces to his publisher father that he wants to become a priest. The father who wants his son to take over the family business does not like this idea at all. He proposes a yacht trip to his son that will give them the chance to spend a few days together and maybe find a middle ground. Dad also invites his mistress without telling his son. During the trip there is a lot of sexual tension between the young man and the mistress. Despite the fact that she is his father's mistress the young man sleeps with her. The next day he asks for his father's forgiveness. After the trip the young man visits the company where he comes across a bizarre incident. One of the employees who was falsely accused of embezzlement commits suicide. Seeing that his father was responsible for the suicide, the young man feels sick and decides he has no place in such a company. Later on he meets his father's mistress who informs him that she was hired by his father to come along on the yacht trip. It was all a ploy by the father to corrupt his son and make him change his mind about the priesthood. The last scene shows the young man staring at a dancing crowd of carefree and handsome young people. He is no longer certain about himself.

Themes

Main themes are middle class guilt, and conflict between the spiritual and physical world. Purity versus Decadence. There are also suggestions concerning the latent homosexuality of the main character.

Cast

Alain Cuny René Xavier Marie Alain Cuny (12 July 1908 – 16 May 1994) was a French actor of stage and screen. He was closely linked with the works of Paul Claudel and Antonin Artaud, and for his performances for the Théâtre national populaire and Od ...

as Leonardo Mattioli *

Rosanna Schiaffino Rosanna Schiaffino (25 November 1939 – 17 October 2009) was an Italian film actress. She appeared on the covers of Italian, German, French, British and American magazines. Early life She was born in Genoa, Liguria to a well-off family. Her mot ...

as Adriana *

Jacques Perrin Jacques Perrin (born Jacques André Simonet; 13 July 1941 – 21 April 2022) was a French actor and film producer. He was occasionally credited as Jacques Simonet. Early life Jacques André Simonet was born on the Boulevard Port-Royal in P ...

as Stefano, figlio di Leonardo *

Isa Miranda Isa Miranda (born Ines Isabella Sampietro; 5 July 1909 – 8 July 1982) was an Italian actress with an international film career. Biography Miranda was born Ines Isabella Sampietro in Milan, the daughter of atreet car conductor in Mian. When s ...

as moglie di Leonardo *

Filippo Scelzo Filippo Scelzo (19 April 1900 – 9 October 1980) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in more than forty films including '' Red Passport'' in which he played the male lead.Landy, Marcia. ''The Folklore of Consensus: Theatricality in the Italian ...

as insegnante *

Ennio Balbo Ennio Balbo (18 April 1922 – 18 June 1989) was an Italian film, television and voice actor. Biography Born in Naples, Balbo made his debut on stage immediately after the Second World War alongside Paola Borboni and Lamberto Picasso in Lu ...

as Morandi

References

External links

* 1963 films Films directed by Mauro Bolognini Italian drama films Films scored by Giovanni Fusco 1963 drama films 1960s Italian films {{1960s-Italy-film-stub