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DOWN THE ANCIENT STAIRS

by Mauro Bolognini

synopsis

A mental hospital somewhere in Tuscany during the thirties. Far away from fascism, this closed world is rules over by Dr. Bonaccorsi, a passionate benevolent psychiatrist whose dream is to isolate the germ of madness. He is also a very active ladies'man and makes three women benefit from his sexual itch: Francesca the hospital manager's wife, Bianca, his devoted nurse and Carla, a nymphomaniac doctor's wife. His well-ordered universe starts being challenged with the coming of Anna, a trainee psychiatrist, who disapproves of his theory on the origin of madness. Worse, she resists his advances. As Bonaccorsi is more insecure than he looks, what will become of him?

international title: Down the Ancient Stairs
original title: Per le antiche scale
country: Italy, France
year: 1975
genre: fiction
directed by: Mauro Bolognini
film run: 115'
release date: CH 09/08/1975, IT 06/11/1975, FR 11/1975, UK 08/1976, PT 13/06/1978, NL 25/01/1979
screenplay: Bernardino Zapponi, Raffaele Andreassi, Tullio Pinelli, Marie Claire Solleville
cast: Marcello Mastroianni, Françoise Fabian, Marthe Keller, Maria Teresa Albani, Maria Michi, Silvano Tranquilli, Charles Fawcett, Enzo Robutti, Ferruccio De Ceresa, Lucía Bosé, Adriana Asti
cinematography by: Ennio Guarnieri
film editing: Nino Baragli
art director: Piero Tosi
costumes designer: Piero Tosi
music: Ennio Morricone
producer: Fulvio Lucisano

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