快樂的波波Unaondatadipiacere(1975) WavesofLust/AWaveofPleasure

Afewyearsbeforehewentontomakeabigsplashinthecannibalsub-genre,RuggeroDeodatodirectedthissuccessfulrip-offofRomanPolanski'sbrilliantKnifeintheWater.Naturally,beinganItalianfilm-there'smoreofafocusonsexthantherelationshipbetweenthecentralcouples,buttheclaustrophobicatmosphereandentertainingcharactershelptokeepthetensionbubblingover,whichensuresthatthemovieisinterestingfortheduration.Thefilmdoesn'thavenearlyasmuch'bite'asCannibalHolocaustandmostoftherestofRuggeroDeodato'sfilmography,butit'sobviousthatevenwiththisearlyfilm;Deodatoisadirectorwiththepotentialtomakeamarkoncinema.Theplotissimpleinthatitjustfocusesontwocouples.GeorgeandSilviainviteIremandBarbaraforaweekendcruiseontheiryacht.ItsoontranspiresthatGeorgeisn'tthemostsensitivemantoeverlive,andSilviadoesn'tseemtomindhimtreatingherbadly.Thesituationescalates,andIremandBarbarajoinforceswithSilviaforvengeanceagainstGeorge...andthreewaysex,ofcourse.
Thefilmissetaboardayachtforthemajorityofitsduration,andthismakesforagreatsettingforthemovietotakeplacein.TheisolatedsettingmeansthatDeodatocankeepthefocusonthecharacters,whichisdefinitelyagoodthingforthefilm.AsisthecasewithalotoftrashyItalianfilms,someofthecharactersactionsareabitfishyandthedialogueislargelyinane-butthesesortsofthingsdon'tbothermetoomuch,andWavesofLustislotsoffuntowatch.Thereareplentyofsexscenes,andwhilethefilmfeaturesverylittleblood,it'snotimportantasit'sclearwherethefocusismeanttobe.Thefilmdoesn'tfeatureanyparticularlywellknownperformers,althoughthefourcentralactorswouldallgoontostarinbetterknownItalianfilms.JohnSteineristhebiggeststandoutinactingtermsanddeliversagoodperformancealongsideeyecandyElizabethTurnerandSilviaDionisio.AlCliver(fromZombieFlesh-Eaters)roundsoffthecentralfoursome.Overall,WavesofLustisdefinitelyworthseeing.Theatmosphereandtensionaregoodanditallboilsdowntoasatisfyingconclusion.