Nowadays, when I see Terence Stamp, I wonder how on Earth he achieved the iconic status he did - until, that is, I watch films like this. He is a sexually enigmatic, enthralling stranger who visits and stays with a wealth family, seducing in turn each member of the family - boys and girls; hell even the maid - before finally the father then he departs leaving their hitherto functional, if not entirely fulfilled, family with gaping holes in their existence. The sex theme is prevalent, but PP Pasolini also encourages us to look at the psychology of the people, what makes them tick - their desires - spoken and not; their pent up passions and peccadilloes - all with precious little dialogue - and I say precious because what little there is contributes significantly to the film. Ennio Morricone creates a magnificent audio setting (perhaps not so much the trumpets) for this, ably abetted by Mozart and the gentle but elegant photography set against a backdrop of pretty Lombard scenery makes for a thought-provoking, soul searcher of a film.
