''Nana, the True Key of Pleasure'' is a 1982 English-language Italian drama film directed by

Dan Wolman Dan Wolman (born October 28, 1941) is an Israeli filmmaker and lecturer in film studies. Biography Dan Wolman was born in Jerusalem, in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine. His father was Moshe Wolman, a pioneering physician. He spen ...

based on

Émile Zola Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola (, also , ; 2 April 184029 September 1902) was a French novelist, journalist, playwright, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of naturalism, and an important contributor to the development of ...

's 1880 novel ''

Nana Nana, Nanna, Na Na or NANA may refer to: People and fictional characters * Nana (given name), including a list of people and characters with the given name * Nana (surname), including a list of people and characters with the surname * Nana ( ...

''. The music is by

Ennio Morricone Ennio Morricone (; 10 November 19286 July 2020) was an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, and trumpeter who wrote music in a wide range of styles. With more than 400 scores for cinema and television, as well as more than 100 classica ...

. The film was produced by

Yoram Globus Yoram Globus ( he, יורם גלובוס; born 7 September 1943) is an Israeli–American film producer, cinema owner, and distributor. He has been involved in over 300 full-length motion pictures and he is most known for his association with T ...

and

Menahem Golan Menahem Golan ( he, מנחם גולן; May 31, 1929 – August 8, 2014, originally Menachem Globus) was an Israeli film producer, screenwriter, and director. He was best known for co-owning The Cannon Group with his cousin Yoram Globus. Cannon sp ...

Plot

Winsome Nana performs as an attraction in the magic show of Mellies the magician at the Minotaure, including in erotic

shadow play Shadow play, also known as shadow puppetry, is an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment which uses flat articulated cut-out figures (shadow puppets) which are held between a source of light and a translucent screen or scrim. The cut-o ...

and "moving photographs". She afterwards puts in work as a prostitute. Zoe acts as her confidante and chambermaid. Many rich and influential men are besotted by Nana's youthful beauty and want to make her their own. The banker Steiner buys her a house, but she soon throws him out and uses it to pursue her business. At one point, Nana hosts an erotic hunt for her guests, who can watch through looking glasses a real-life pornographic show unfold itself before their eyes. She also engages in a

lesbian A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...

encounter with Satin, one of the female customers at the Minotaure. Count Muffat as well as his son Hector are equally besotted by Nana. When she is introduced to the prizefighter Bijou, she gets Muffat to sponsor him; Bijou is killed in a fight to the death, the count is ruined, and eventually, he and his family are evicted from their residence by Steiner the banker who has rigged the fight. When Muffat complains to Nana about his ruin, she reveals to him that his wife has been cheating on him with Faucherie, an intrigue which she has previously arranged, and the men fight each other in a duel. Nana then ruins the wedding of young Hector Muffat when she elopes with him in a horse-drawn carriage. Eventually, however, there is honour among thieves: Muffat becomes minister of the interior, sponsored by Faucherie, and Nana leaves in a hot air balloon for India to meditate - taking yet another beau along for the ride.

Cast

Katya Berger Katya Bebb Cobham (Berger) (born 1966) (sometimes credited as Katia Berger or Katja Berger) is a film actress. Biography Katya Berger was born on 13 December 1966 in London, England. She is the daughter of Hugh Russell Bebb and the Croatian sin ...

: Nana *

Shirin Taylor Shirin Taylor (born 1956) is an English actress, best known for playing Jackie Ingram in the television soap opera '' Coronation Street'' from 1990 to 1992 as well as Tina, girlfriend to Robert Lindsay's character in comedy drama '' Give Us a Brea ...

: Zoe, Nana's maid *

Jean-Pierre Aumont Jean-Pierre Aumont (born Jean-Pierre Philippe Salomons; 5 January 1911 – 30 January 2001) was a French actor, and holder of the Légion d'Honneur and the Croix de guerre 1939–1945, Croix de Guerre for his World War II military service. Ea ...

: comte de Muffat (count Muffat) *

Mandy Rice-Davies Marilyn Rice-Davies (21 October 1944 – 18 December 2014) was a Welsh model and showgirl best known for her association with Christine Keeler and her role in the Profumo affair, which discredited the Conservative government of British Prime Mi ...

: Sabine, comtesse de Muffat * Marcus Beresford: Hector Muffat * Yehuda Efroni: Steiner, the banker *

Massimo Serato Massimo Serato, born Giuseppe Segato, (31 May 1916 – 22 December 1989) was an Italian film actor with a career spanning over 40 years. Serato was born in Oderzo, Veneto, Italy and started appearing in films in 1938. He played leading roles in ...

: Faucherie, journalist for Le Figaro *

Annie Belle Annie Brilland (born 10 December 1956) is a retired French actress and social worker. Her acting career began in 1974. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s she had varied roles in both French and Italian cinema, working with such directors as Jean R ...

: Rennée de Chéselles, fiancée of Hector *

Debra Berger Debra Berger (born March 17, 1957), sometimes credited as Debby Berger or Deborah Berger, is an American actress, artist, and designer. Life She was the daughter of actor William Berger from his first marriage in 1957. She was the half-sister ...

: Satin *

Tom Felleghy Tom Felleghy (born Tamás Fellegi; 26 November 1921) is a Hungarian-born Italian actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films since 1958. Filmography References External links * 1921 births Possibly living people Hungarian ma ...

: Mellies the magician

References

External links

* * * 1982 films 1982 drama films 1982 LGBT-related films Adultery in films Italian drama films Films scored by Ennio Morricone Films based on works by Émile Zola Films based on French novels Golan-Globus films English-language Italian films Cockfighting in film Films produced by Menahem Golan Films about prostitution Lesbian-related films Films produced by Yoram Globus 1980s Italian films {{1980s-Italy-film-stub