Seduced and Abandoned

1964 1h 58m IT

🙌

7.7

BANGER

★7.7TMDB · 182

ComedyDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The film presents the tale of Agnese Ascalone, daughter of prominent miner Vincenzo Ascalone, and takes place in a small town in Sicily. Agnese is seduced by her sister Matilde's fiancé, and has a tryst with him for which she confesses and tries to repent, only to be discovered by her mother and father.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Stefania Sandrelli
Agnese Ascalone
Saro Urzì
Don Vincenzo Ascalone
Aldo Puglisi
Peppino Califano
Lando Buzzanca
Antonio Ascalone
Lola Braccini
Amalia Califano
Leopoldo Trieste
Barone Rizieri
Umberto Spadaro
il cugino di Ascalone
Paola Biggio
Matilde Ascalone

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Pietro Germi
Writers: Pietro Germi, Luciano Vincenzoni, Agenore Incrocci
Languages: Italian
Countries: Italy, France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

62 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Italy, France.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Pietro Germi, shot by Aiace Parolin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Carlo Rustichelli. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Roberto Cinquini shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Stefania Sandrelli and Saro Urzì and Aldo Puglisi carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0058564 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Pietro Germi directs. Aiace Parolin behind the camera. Carlo Rustichelli scores. Roberto Cinquini cuts. Produced in Italy, France. Dialogue in Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

162 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2International production across 2 countries: Italy, France.
3Directed by Pietro Germi, shot by Aiace Parolin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Carlo Rustichelli. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Roberto Cinquini shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Stefania Sandrelli and Saro Urzì and Aldo Puglisi carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0058564 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Aiace Parolin
Original score: Carlo Rustichelli
Editing: Roberto Cinquini
Production design: Carlo Egidi
Costume design: Carlo Egidi
Makeup / hair: Raffaele Cristini
Runtime: 118 min · 1h 58m
Status: Released
Original language: IT
IMDB: Seduced and Abandoned (1964)

Also by

Pietro Germi

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2025-08-16
★ 7/10
There is something of the volcanic about this darkly comedic assessment of the hypocrisies of provincial life and double standards in Italy in the 1960s. It all starts when the fifteen year old “Agnese” (Stefanie Sandrelli) is seduced by “Peppino” (Aldo Puglisi) whilst her mother and sister - his own fiancée “Matilde” (Paola Biggio), and their afternoon nap. Next thing, she is expecting a baby and her livid father “Don Vincenzo” (Saro Urzi) demands that he do the right thing by his younger daughter. Disgraced and in some peril, “Peppino” does a bunk and flees the scene, but how far can he get with her brother “Antonio” (Lando Buzzanca) on his trail with an unpleasant ultimatum to deliver. At the end of her own tether by constantly being locked in her room and treated appallingly by her father, “Agnese” decides that confession to the church is not the answer. Confession to the police and a court hearing, however, might be! There are multiple strands to this comedy, some of them just out and out bawdy (a mere 15,000 ejaculations in an entire lifetime?) through to far more satiric criticism of attitudes, convention and even a law that could legitimise rape if the victim and the criminal agreed to marry afterwards! We see a most unfair perspective from a guilt-ridden girl whose conscience is troubled, whose support network is made of sugar and whose faith is also tested by a church that all too eagerly considers her an whore. Sometimes comedy is the best conduit for taking an objective look at the contemptible, and on that score Puglisi’s depiction of the letch and Urzi’s on the aggrieved father who cares more about the “honour” and reputation of his family that he does about the welfare of his younger daughter or, indeed, his older one who was so shamelessly cheated upon. He is left with tarnished goods, and that just is not acceptable. Can peace break out? Well, I found the conclusion a little bit disappointing given all the efforts we have gone to to illustrate the iniquity of these situations, but the rapidly paced fashion in which Pietro Germi presents this, coupled with a Morricone-esque score from Carlo Rustichelli that does raise a smile at times, and we are delivered of an acerbic critique on a mentality of whatever you do, don’t get caught or get pregnant! It’s funny, busy and rife with equivocation - and is well worth a couple of hours.
CinemaSerf2025-08-16
★ 7/10
There is something of the volcanic about this darkly comedic assessment of the hypocrisies of provincial life and double standards in Italy in the 1960s. It all starts when the fifteen year old “Agnese” (Stefanie Sandrelli) is seduced by “Peppino” (Aldo Puglisi) whilst her mother and sister - his own fiancée “Matilde” (Paola Biggio) are having their afternoon nap. Next thing, she is expecting a baby and her livid father “Don Vincenzo” (Saro Urzi) demands that he do the right thing by his younger daughter. Disgraced and in some peril, “Peppino” does a bunk and flees the scene, but how far can he get with her brother “Antonio” (Lando Buzzanca) on his trail with an unpleasant ultimatum to deliver. At the end of her own tether by constantly being locked in her room and treated appallingly by her father, “Agnese” decides that confession to the church is not the answer. Confession to the police and a court hearing, however, might be! There are multiple strands to this comedy, some of them just out-and-out bawdy (a mere 15,000 ejaculations in an entire lifetime?) through to a far more satiric criticism of attitudes, convention and even a law that could legitimise rape if the victim and the criminal agreed to marry afterwards! We see a most unfair perspective from a guilt-ridden girl whose conscience is troubled, whose support network is made of sugar and whose faith is also tested by a church that all too eagerly considers her an whore. Sometimes comedy is the best conduit for taking an objective look at the contemptible, and on that score Puglisi’s depiction of the letch and Urzi’s of the aggrieved father who cares more about the “honour” and reputation of his family than he does about the welfare of his younger daughter or, indeed, his older one who was so shamelessly cheated upon are engaging. Papa might be left with tarnished goods, and that just is not acceptable. Can peace break out? Well, I found the conclusion a little bit disappointing given all the efforts we have gone to to illustrate the iniquity of these situations, but the rapidly paced fashion in which Pietro Germi presents this, coupled with a Morricone-esque score from Carlo Rustichelli that does raise a smile at times as we are delivered of an acerbic critique on a mentality of whatever you do, don’t get caught or get pregnant! It’s funny, busy and rife with equivocation - and is well worth a couple of hours.