Giselda Castrini, an Italian actress, delivers a striking performance in The Year of the Cannibals (1969), a film that embodies the essence of exploitation cinema. Set against a backdrop of societal collapse, her role adds a layer of complexity to the narrative's surreal landscape. With a career rooted in the vibrant 1960s film scene, Castrini's work resonates within the cult film community, showcasing the era's penchant for the bizarre and provocative. Her presence in The Year of the Cannibals invites audiences to confront the unconventional themes that define this unique genre.
The Year of the Cannibals
The streets of the city are littered with corpses. It is the result of the repression of a protest by the police. A decree of law prohibits the removal of the bodies, under penalty of death, by supreme order of the totalitarian regime. People pass the macabre scene with indifference. Only Antigone wants to bury her brother, but neither her family, nor her fiancé - who is the son of the prime minister - will help her. She finds help from Tiresias, a mysterious stranger who speaks an unknown language. The two dedicate themselves to burying the dead and for this they are arrested and tortured; at first they manage to escape but then they are killed by the police. However, they become a symbol for many young people who, from that moment, begin to collect the corpses of the rebels to bury them. I Cannibali, third feature film by Liliana Cavani, starring a trio of excellent actors (Pierre Clementi, Britt Ekland and Tomas Milian), is a modern reinterpretation of Sophocles' tragedy, made during the protest years of 1967-69. A film that stands out for its visionary intelligence, in the context of Italian political cinema.
