The Barefoot Contessa is basically a soap opera. It involves lower-level aristocracy with some well-to-do commoners thrown in. The real commoners, though vital to the story, are always in the background and almost never seen. Maria Vargas, played by Ava Gardner, is a beautiful, freshly discovered actress. She seems sophisticated enough but yet lives in a kind of an unrealistic dream world when it comes to love and romance.
She thinks she finds true love when she meets Count Vincenzo Torlato-Favrini. And in fact, she does love him, and he loves her. There is just one small problem, some of the count's sexual organs were destroyed by a WWII wound. In a "what the heck" moment in the storyline, he does not inform his new wife of his inabilities until they are in the bedroom on their wedding night. I think I smirked and mumbled "Oh c'mon".
She ends up needing sexual fulfillment and not only gets it, but becomes pregnant. The unfaithfulness was a no-go for the count and he ends up murdering both his new wife, and her lover.
I had some spare time and had nothing better to do so I watched the entire film. If I had something better to do, and known the general storyline, I would have passed on The Barefoot Contessa. Not a terrible movie but it came a little too close to my regretting spending the required 2 hours and 8 minutes.
She thinks she finds true love when she meets Count Vincenzo Torlato-Favrini. And in fact, she does love him, and he loves her. There is just one small problem, some of the count's sexual organs were destroyed by a WWII wound. In a "what the heck" moment in the storyline, he does not inform his new wife of his inabilities until they are in the bedroom on their wedding night. I think I smirked and mumbled "Oh c'mon".
She ends up needing sexual fulfillment and not only gets it, but becomes pregnant. The unfaithfulness was a no-go for the count and he ends up murdering both his new wife, and her lover.
I had some spare time and had nothing better to do so I watched the entire film. If I had something better to do, and known the general storyline, I would have passed on The Barefoot Contessa. Not a terrible movie but it came a little too close to my regretting spending the required 2 hours and 8 minutes.