La Carne (1991)

AKA: The Flesh
Directed by: Marco Ferreri
Starring: Sergio Castellitto (Paolo), Francesca Dellera (Francesca)
Country: Italy; Effed Up European Cinema
Language: Italian (Eng Subs); Effed Up Italian Movies
Runtime: 01:29:33

Plot – Spoilers:
A mildly hypochondriacal musician hates his wife, but can’t let go of his kids and dog who live with her. At the bar where he’s a popular pianist, he meets a siren Francesca, whose experiences being exploited by a fake Indian guru have left her a little disconnected from the reality of relationships. So for example, when Paolo attempts to wax eloquent about the ecstasy her presence arouses in him, she brings him crashing down to her immediate real-world issue – I’m hungry, while a Kate Bush song plays in the background.

Hunger and food are a recurrent theme as Paolo and Francesca retreat to his beachhouse, where he suffers from a sense of inadequacy and a recurrent jealous urge to possess Francesca, before she tires of him. Their time together includes a number of interesting moments such as when Paolo is visited by his children just when he’s achieved a permanent hard-on with the rest of his body in a state of paralysis.

La Carne is mostly for fans of absurdist films, though Francesca Dellera might attract some others too.

Genres: Bizarre, SelfHarm, Cannibalism