Una spina nel cuore (1986)

Alberto Lattuada’s final film centers on the relationship of a young couple (Sophie Duez and
Anthony Delon). For anyone familiar with the director’s later work, it will not surprise that it
is a candid look, and one that spends a lot of time on the sexual friction, secrets and
jealousy of the two characters. Again, if one is familiar with Lattuada, it is hard not to think
about his choice of material in the latter part of his career. Few directors depicted as many
beautiful women in their films as he did, and took greater delight in showing them off in all
their natural splendor. There is almost a sense of Lattuada touching from a distance, or,
perhaps being able to look through his films at what eluded him in life(?) It is interesting to
look back at his small vignette in “Amore in città” from 1953, with its endless parade of
beautiful women, and close-ups of the male faces following them with their hungry, wolfish
eyes… and, in the couple of instances, where they take actual chase, they are put to
shame. In any event, whether Una spina nel cuore at some level refers to a pain in the
director’s own heart or not, (and even if it is not one of his best films), it does have its
pleasures.