The Last Italian Tango
| The Last Italian Tango | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Nando Cicero |
| Written by | Mario Mariani Nando Cicero Marino Onorato |
| Produced by | Mario Mariani |
| Starring | Franco Franchi Martine Beswick |
| Cinematography | Luciano Trasatti |
| Edited by | Alessandro Peticca |
| Music by | Ubaldo Continiello Franco Franchi |
| Distributed by | Variety Distribution |
Release date |
|
Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | Italy |
| Language | Italian |
The Last Italian Tango (Italian: Ultimo tango a Zagarol, lit. 'Last Tango in Zagarol') is a 1973 Italian comedy directed by Nando Cicero. A parody of Last Tango in Paris,[1] it is set in the town of Zagarolo near Rome.
Franco is trapped in a controlling marriage: his wife dominates him and secretly carries on with a lover hidden in the attic. Frustrated, Franco begins an affair with a mysterious young woman drawn to erotic games. When his wife discovers the affair, chaos and comic turmoil ensue.
Plot
[edit]Franco is fed up with his wife Margherita, who keeps him on a strict diet, cheats on him with her lover living in the attic, and treats him like a handyman-slave in her hourly hotel. Franco hauls heavy suitcases filled with erotic equipment and even clients hidden in musical instrument cases. He's on a diet from everything—even sex—since his wife refuses herself and won't let him eat, forcing him to make himself a buttered sandwich while dreaming of erotic encounters.
Fed up, he moves into an unfurnished apartment. There he meets a young woman who draws him into unusual erotic games, and they start a relationship that ultimately fails. In his free time, he acts in a surreal documentary. Franco wanders the streets of Rome wearing a camel coat and a permanently depressed expression. When his wife fakes her death just to make him come back, Franco imagines he's finally done “tightening the belt,” but he isn't: it's not him who treats the lover as an object, but rather the lover who imposes the power of a dominant woman over him.
Cast
[edit]- Franco Franchi: Franco
- Martine Beswick: The girl
- Gina Rovere: Margherita
- Franca Valeri: Director
- Nicola Arigliano: Marcello
- Ugo Fangareggi: Operatore
- Nerina Montagnani: Addetta alla toilette
Production
[edit]Despite its title, the film was not shot in Zagarolo but in Rome.[2] The reference to the town appears near the end, during the extended dance competition scene titled Coppa Zagarol.
The rented apartment, described as a "rat's nest" by the doorman, is actually on the top floor of the prestigious Palazzo del Ragno in the Coppedè district.
Reception
[edit]The film was commercially successful, grossing around 950 million lire.[1] It ranked 71st among the top 100 highest-grossing Italian films of the 1973–1974 season.[3]
Film critic Robert Firsching wrote: "The humor is primarily of the cheap bathroom variety, as subtlety has never been director Nando Cicero's strong point, but there are some genuine laughs for the tolerant."[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Franco e Ciccio Superstar". Cine70. Vol. 4. Coniglio Editore. 2003.
- ^ "Ultimo tango a Zagarol (1973)". Forum. il Davinotti.
- ^ "Stagione 1973-74: i 100 film di maggior incasso". hitparadeitalia.it. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
- ^ Robert Firsching (2015). "Ultimo Tango a Zagarol (1973)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
