Review of La mandragola

Alberto Lattuada is a director and screenwriter who together with Luigi Magni and Stefano Strucchi have brought Machiavelli's delightfully cynical and bawdy play "The Mandrake" to screens. Produced by Alfredo Bini, the 1965 production starred Rosanna Schiaffino and Romolo Valli as the infertile married couple and Philippe Leroy and Jean-Claude Briarly as well as the great Toto to the major roles of the scheme to have the handsome suitor (Leroy) substituted as the husband through an elaborate scheme involving a notorious herb, "The Mandrake," ordered by the physician (really the suitor) and helped orchestrated, for money, including by the clergy (Toto). The cinematography by Tonino Delli Colli and film editing by Nino Baragli are extraordinary and, the film was nominated for a much deserved Oscar nomination for its costume design by Danilo Donati. Although Briarly and Toto seem to be perfectly cast, Schiaffino and Leroy have the burden of the picture and are adequate, but one wonders what could have been brought to the story if Lattuada and the other screenwriters would have been a bit more inventive with the material. Sciaffino was well served by director Mauro Bolognini in his masterpiece, "La Corruption" and Damiano Damiani in his film "The Witch In Love." Romolo Valli plays the duped husband perfectly and also important is Nilla Pizi as the girl's mother. All in all, an entertaining and well done film that most definitely had a path to greatness. Lattuada would later bring us "The Cricket."