A curiosity has just popped out of the cellar of Anchor Bay : THE 10th VICTIM, an italian movie directed in 1965 by Elio Petri. Adapted from a short novel of Robert Sheckley by the well-known screenplay writer Tonino Guerra, THE 10th VICTIM presents a Marcello Mastroianni with blond hair and an Ursula Andress with blond skin. Amusing.
The action takes place in a near future in Rome, Italy. In order to prevent wars, governments have invented " The Big Hunting ". The players must win 10 times to gain the right to leave with a million dollars prize. In this game, to win means to kill the hunted if you are the hunter or to discover and kill the hunter if you're the hunted. A slight pre-RUNNING MAN flavour, isn't it ?
THE 10th VICTIM is more a parodical and satirical comedy than an action movie and presents at least one scene deserving to stay in our memories, the first scene involving a masked Ursula Andress dancing and slapping the faces of the "Masoch Club" male audience before killing her adversary in a very stylish manner.
If you like italian comedies or a smart satire of the television, religion or our political institutions, the movie is certainly worth a look. If, like me, you are an amateur of B movies of the sixties, THE 10th VICTIM is a must have.
Bonus features include an english dubbed version, the italian version with optional english subtitles, the theatrical trailer and an incomplete filmography of Marcello Mastroianni and Ursula Andress. Great images and sound.
A DVD zone discovery.
