The Ape Woman
| The Ape Woman | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Marco Ferreri |
| Written by | Rafael Azcona Marco Ferreri |
| Produced by | Carlo Ponti |
| Starring | Ugo Tognazzi |
| Cinematography | Aldo Tonti |
| Edited by | Mario Serandrei |
| Music by | Teo Usuelli |
Release date |
|
Running time | 100 minutes |
| Countries | Italy France |
| Languages | Italian French |
The Ape Woman (Italian: La donna scimmia, French: Le Mari de la femme à barbe) is a 1964 Italian-French drama film directed by Marco Ferreri. It was entered into the 1964 Cannes Film Festival.[1] The film was inspired by the real-life story of Julia Pastrana a 19th-century woman exploited as a freak show attraction by her manager Theodore Lent.
In 2008, the film was selected to enter the list of the 100 Italian films to be saved.[2][3][4]
Plot[edit]
Marie, the "Ape Woman", is completely covered with hair; the entrepreneur Focaccia discovers her in a convent in Naples; he marries her (a condition imposed by the nuns) and begins exhibiting her to the public. He tries to sell her to a man who insists on her virginity, but she is a little reluctant. After tasting success in Paris, she dies during childbirth. Focaccia recovers her mummy from the museum of natural history and exhibits it in Naples.
Cast[edit]
- Ugo Tognazzi as Antonio Focaccia
- Annie Girardot as Maria
- Achille Majeroni as Majoroni
- Filippo Pompa Marcelli as Bruno
- Ermelinda De Felice as Sister Furgonicino (as Linda De Felice)
- Elvira Paolini as Chambermaid
- Ugo Rossi as Ponszoner
Release[edit]
The Ape Woman was released in 4K restoration[5] on Blu-ray and digital platforms on 11 October 2021.[6]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Festival de Cannes: The Ape Woman". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ Massimo Bertarelli, Il cinema italiano in 100 film: i 100 film da salvare, Gremese Editore, 2004, ISBN 88-8440-340-5.
- ^ Massimo Borriello (4 March 2008). "Cento film e un'Italia da non dimenticare" [One hundred films and an Italy not to be forgotten]. Movieplayer (in Italian). Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ "Ecco i cento film italiani da salvare" [Here are the hundred Italian films worth saving]. Corriere della Sera. 28 February 2008. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ "The Ape Woman". Film Authority. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ Bradshaw, Peter (7 October 2021). "The Ape Woman review – freakshow satire with bizarre alternative-ending payoff". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
External links[edit]
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- 1964 films
- 1964 drama films
- 1960s Italian-language films
- 1960s French-language films
- French black-and-white films
- Italian black-and-white films
- Films directed by Marco Ferreri
- Films with screenplays by Rafael Azcona
- 1960s multilingual films
- French multilingual films
- Italian multilingual films
- 1960s French films
- 1960s Italian films
- French-language Italian films
- 1960s Italian film stubs
- 1960s French film stubs