Zenabel

Zenabel
Directed by Ruggero Deodato
Screenplay by
  • Antonio Racioppi
  • Gino Capone
  • Ruggero Deodato[1]
Story by
  • Antonio Racioppi
  • Gino Capone[1]
Starring
Music by Bruno Nicolai[1]
Cinematography Roberto Reale[1]
Edited by Antonietta Zita[1]
Production
companies
  • I.C.A.R.
  • Gemini Pictures International
  • Pierson Production[2]
Release dates
  • December 1969 (1969-12) (Italy)
Running time
 90 minutes
Country
  • Italy
  • France

Zenabel was a 1969 film directed by Ruggero Deodato. The film is set in 1627 and is about a young woman named Zenabel (Lucretia Love) who find out that she is the daughter ofa Duke who was killed by the Spanish Baron Imolne. Zenabel gather a group of women to lead them to fight against Imolne to exact revenge.

The film was described by Italian film critic and historian as a "financial disater" on it's relesae in Italy as it was released during the same week of the Piazza Fontana bombing.

Cast

Production

Zenabel was directed by Ruggero Deodato to work again with producer and actor Mauro Parenti, who he had worked with previously on Phenomenal and the Treasure of Tutankhamen.[2] The title role was given to Lucretia Love, Parenti's wife at the time, and Parenti also demanded an acting role for himself, and was given that of the bandit Gennaro.[3] John Ireland played the role of the villain Baron Alfonso Imolde.[3]

The film was shot in Bracciano in Rome and Tuscania.[2] Deodato recalls during a scene in Tuscania's main square where Love's character is about to burned alive, John Ireland was missing.[3] Ireland was at the Hilton Hotel in Rome aiting for his check as the producer had not payed him yet.[3] When Ireland arrived on set, he refused to give a act in a scene that was to give the signal to light Zenabel aflame.[3][4] Ireland refused to act not knowing the character's motivation, which led to Deodato giving him a dwarf actor in his arms like a baby to light to signal which pleased Ireland and let him complete the scene.[4]

Release

Zenabel was released in Italy in December 1969.[1][4] Italian film critic and historian Roberto Curti stated that the film was a "financial disaster" in Italy as it was released during the same week as the Piazza Fontana bombing.[4] On the film Deodato later stated that he put his "heart and soul into Zenabel, but the film was affected by the lack of a popular lead actress."[3]

The film was re-released in France in 1975 under the title La Furie du Desir with hardcore pornography scenes added.[5] These scenes were directed by Claude Mulot.[5]

Reception

In a retrospective overview of Deodato's career, Louis Paul, author of Italian Horror Film Directors, stated that Zenabel was "Deodato's first film where he exhibits a unique persona as director".[6]

See also

References

Footnotes

Sources

  • Curti, Roberto (2016). Diabolika: Supercriminals, Superheroes and the Comic Book Universe in Italian Cinema. Midnight Marquee Press. ISBN 978-1-936168-60-6. 
  • Paul, Louis (2005). Italian Horror Film Directors. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-8749-3. 

External links

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