FEMME FATALE
UK, 1992, 74 minutes, Colour.
Sophia Diaz, Donald Pleasence, Simon Callow.
Directed by Udayan Prasad.
Femme Fatale is a BBC telemovie written by playwright Simon Grey (Butley). Sophia Diaz portrays a young Sicilian woman, transported into the British countryside - the focus of every man's attention, women's jealousy and a succession of parody deaths (almost along the Carry On line).
Simon Callow is Vicar Ronnie, a role that he has often undertaken and does so well. He narrates the black comic story. There is a strong supporting cast of British character actors.
The film makes the contrast between Mediterranean people and the stuffy British - who are seething with passion underneath. The film also focuses with attentive detail and some hilarity on the British way of life in the countryside.
The film is amusing and unexpected in its ironies.
1.Entertaining British telemovie? Ironic? The contrast between the Mediterranean and the United Kingdom?
2.The Sicilian settings and the passionate violence? The contrast with London? The contrast with the Devon settings, the village, the countryside? The sea? The musical score?
3.The title and its French overtones and usage? As applied to Maddalena? The fights in Sicily? Her experience in London? Her wreaking havoc, unintentionally, in the Devon village?
4.Simon Callow and his style as the vicar, his place in the village, his relating to people, their coming to him with their stories? His attention to Maddalena - and finishing up with her and having a family? His point of view in the voice-over narrative?
5.The character of Maddalena: a good girl in Sicily, Paolo and his attentions to her? Her father, the question of Sicilian honour, the shootings? Paolo killing Maddalena's mother? The ironical shootout with the two men killing each other? The ironic British comment on the stereotype of passion in Sicily?
6.Maddalena and her going to London to escape the family and their revenge? Her working in London? The Italian restaurant, her work as a waitress? The riot? The men trying to impress Maddalena and the subsequent death? Maddalena comforting Davy - marriage and her going to the countryside?
7.The Harty family? The irony of their name? Martin and Daisy, their shops, the home-made jam and the sales? Their relationship with Mary and Algy? The family cousins? Their relationship with Uncle Victor? The black comedy of Uncle Victor and the picnic, the photographs, his falling to his death (and Mary and Algy happy that he has died and inheriting his garage)?
8.Daisy and Martin in London, their son Davy? Davy and his attraction to Maddalena? The riot in the street, Martin and Davy both trying to impress? Daisy and her heart attack and death? Maddalena and her returning to the village and marrying Davy? Her working in the shops? The reaction of the men: Algy and his seductive attitude, wanting ice creams? Martin and the clash?
9.Algy and his roving eye? His relationship with Mary? Going to the shop, the ice creams? The clash with Martin? His picking up Maddalena in his truck? His emotional blackmail, seduction, suggesting he will kill Mary because of his love? Her reaction and kissing him? The attempts at poisoning? The police and Algy? His sexual relationships and Maddie's reaction? Maddalena asking him not to murder his wife? Algy leaping through the window and being run down by the car?
10.Martin and his relationship with his son? Davy and his impotence? Martin and his love for Maddie and her reaction, fighting him off? Her going to confession and the advice to Martin not to attack her? Davy hearing this, attacking his father, Maddie's dress ripped open, Davy's heart attack? Martin and his continuing jealousy of Algy, poisoning him with the jam? His advances, ripping her dress, stabbing himself?
11.Mary and her relationship with Martin, jealousy, the irony of her eating the poisoned jam and dying on the sofa? Algy under suspicion?
12.The vicar, his observation of everything, Maddalena coming to confession (and the irony of a Catholic confessing in an Anglican setting)? His advice? Ronnie and his observing the deaths, conducting the funerals? The irony of his car running down Algy? His comforting Maddalena, the flash of light? The marriage, domestic bliss, the Italian delicatessen, the children singing, the baby?
13.Maddalena as an innocent young woman, the victim of men's attentions, of women's jealousy? Her going through life innocent and warding off attacks and attentions? Confiding in the vicar - and finding a completely happy ending?
14.The ironies of this observation of human nature, passion, death?
