The Bad Maestro

Often referred to as a master of erotica, Venetian director Tinto Brass is a deeply political man who has made no mystery of his anarchic inclinations. His long career has often been divided into two periods: the first twenty years (1958-1976), during which he practiced an innovative and eclectic mix of filming experimentation and political engagement; and the next thirty (1976-2008), which crystallized his reputation and were his most commercially successful years. The focus of this book are the films that return to the events of World War II, beginning with his nazisploitation milestone Salon Kitty (1976) and ending with his 2003 “return to form” Senso ’45. While many of these titles have been understood as Brass’s progressive abandonment of the path of “good” or “quality” film making for “cheap” erotica (albeit with the auteur trademark), they also contain many of the director’s most sophisticated reflections on Italian and European history.