THE MAGNIFICENT CUCKOLD: Claudia To The Rescue

THE MAGNIFICENT CUCKOLD (Blu-ray)

1964 / 125 min

Radiance Films

Review by Mr. Paws😽

Time to confess yet another lifelong celebrity crush. 

I don’t remember when I first saw Once Upon a Time in the West, but do recall two distinct takeaways. One, that Henry Fonda made one hell of a bad guy, and two, that Claudia Cardinale was the most striking woman I’d ever seen on the big screen. Sure, the likes of Sophia Loren and Gina Lollobrigida have always been gorgeous, but Cardinale’s beauty was almost intimidating, and depending on the film, maybe even a distraction.

I'm pretty sure if I had the opportunity to meet the lovely Ms. Cardinale in her prime, I’d end up being as tongue-tied as Goofy, only managing a bashful “gawrsh!” before clumsily stumbling away. 

But while Claudia has always been a distant object of infatuation, she was never an obsession. I never sought out any particular movie she starred in, though I’ve since seen plenty that were made more aesthetically enjoyable because of her, such as The Day of the Owl and The Red Tent. And on occasion, she has been the only reason a movie was worth watching. One of those is The Magnificent Cuckold, recently restored and released by Radiance Films.

This is an Italian sex comedy made during a time when they were quite popular, with a plot that those in toxic relationships might relate to. Andrea Artusi (Ugo Tognazzi) is a well-to-do business owner with a young wife, Maria Grazia (Cardinale), who’s not only beautiful, she’s charming and well-liked by their entire circle of friends and acquaintances (with some of the male persuasion clearly enamored with her).

Gawrsh!

Then, in a move that nudges The Magnificent Cuckold into the realm of science fiction, Andrea cheats on her with a friend’s free-spirited wife, Christiana (Michele Giardon). Christiana’s casual attitude toward infidelity soon has him realizing that Maria, too, could be having an affair, even though she’s said or done nothing to arouse his suspicion. While he had no qualms about cheating himself, Andrea becomes obsessed with the idea that she is. He begins to suspect and question her every move, especially if they involve interacting with other men, culminating with a complete meltdown at a housewarming party.

Some of this stuff is funny, some of it isn’t. Andrea’s behavior is even kind of distressing at times, not helped by the fact he is not all that sympathetic to begin with (to say nothing of hypocritical). But that isn’t the real problem. To be honest, the movie is less interesting whenever Cardinale isn’t on-screen. When she is, though, it’s hard to take your eyes off her. Fortunately, director Antonio Pietrangeli appears aware that she’s the film’s biggest asset, and indulges us with a couple of sexy sequences presented as Andrea’s overactive imagination at work (including Maria’s lengthy striptease before a gaggle of ogling onlookers).

While the narrative manages to throw in an amusingly satisfying twist at the end, The Magnificent Cuckold is occasionally kind of an endurance test, since we’re spending way too much time in the company of an increasingly unlikable protagonist. However, Claudia Cardinale ultimately makes it worth the effort, saving the film with her indelible presence. Gawrsh!

EXTRA KIBBLES

INTERVIEW - With Italian cinema expert Richard Dyer, who seems to know his stuff.

VISUAL ESSAY - By Remi Fournier Lanzoni.

ALTERNATIVE COLOR SEQUENCE 

SUPPLEMENTAL BOOKLET - Includes an essay, “This House is Not a Home: Love in the Time of Economic Boom,” by critic Phuong Le.

REVERSIBLE COVER - With new and original poster artwork.