The Seduction of Mimi (Mimì metallurgico ferito nell’onore)
Directed by Lina Wertmuller
Written by Lina Wertmuller
1972/Italy
IMDb page
First viewing/Amazon Prime (free to members)
Revenge is an act of passion; vengeance of justice. Injuries are revenged; crimes are avenged. — Samuel Johnson
Wertmuller’s farce is a delightful sendup of the Sicilian code of honor and Italian politics.
Carmelo “Mimi” Mardocheo (Giancarlo Gianinni) is a vain, macho Sicilian. He is completely full of himself while at the same time being utterly clueless. His vapid wife Rosalia is not too interested in sex. He works at a mine. When the owners learn Mimi voted for the Communist in a supposedly secret election, he loses his job. He goes North to Turin to find work, leaving his wife behind. She swears to kill him if he looks at another woman.
Mimi finally gets work in Turin through his claimed connection to a powerful Mafia boss back home. He meets beautiful street vendor Fiorella (Mariangela Meneghini), who is a Trotskyite. He asks her out and makes advances. She says she doesn’t care that he’s married but is saving herself for the man she loves. It turns out that the man is Mimi after all and they begin to live together and have a son. He fails to report a couple of serious Mafia crimes and is promoted to a management position back home in Sicily against his will. He brings Fiorella and their baby with him.
The story turns into a “Divorce Italian Style” type revenge plot with Mimi and Rosalia out for revenge one against the other. The Mafia does not loosen its hold.
Giannini is a gifted comedian and perfectly suited for this part. Wertmuller would use him over and over again. I thought this was a lot of fun with a little sting under the comedy. Worth trying out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjpCqNxzKxg
