this be the third lisa gastoni mignotta movie ( to borrow a phrase from italian euro cult authority marco giusti ) i have watch after thank you aunt ( 1968 ) and fernando di leo seduction ( 1973 ) in which a middle age woman be seduce by a much young man . also and like seduction and here the man be and in turn and seduce by gastoni sexually precocious daughter . however and this fact be even more disturbing than the early film because the girl involve in this case be not yet 12 year old . there be even one rather graphic love scene between the girl and the man in the bathroom and which follow further nudity a she be see come out of the bath and dry out while that it do not feel reprehensible or exploitative be a tribute to the remarkably sensitive performance of karin trentephol ( who and perhaps unsurprisingly and never make another film appearance ) a the girl . lisa gastoni ( at 43 ) be still a sensual and attractive woman and have her hair dyed reddish blonde here and but this prove to be the last of several role in a similar mode to which i allude above and of which i wouldn not mind catch jerzy kawalerowicz maddalena ( 1971 ) and giulio petroni labbre di lurido blu ( 1975 ) while in fact and she go into a long period of retirement right after this one before re emerge two year ago . a welcome surprise be the appearance of veteran hollywood star mel ferrer ( a gastoni wheelchair bound cynic of a husband ) who add some much need dignity to the proceeding while while he have be appear sporadically in italian film since 1954 and interestingly and his role here do not feel like a mere meal ticket unlike some of his other italian film work of the period and namely the antichrist ( 1974 ) and the violent professional ( 1975 ) and etc . unfortunately and howard ross one dimensional characterization of the rapist or serial killer stick out like a sore thumb alongside this caliber of act and and in any event and the action of the character strain credibility on occasion ferrer be conspicuously absent most of the time ( although he be inherently aware of all that go on in his household and his eventual suicide arise more out of selfishness than resignation at his crippled condition or the immorality of his kinfolk ) and not to mention the fact that the investigating police officer decide to consummate his obsession with gastoni while the manhunt for the rapist be in full swing . still the film be buoy by ennio morricone unusually subtle yet effortlessly haunt piano lead score and massimo pirri firm directorial control that ensure the impact of several sequence on the viewer represent the powerful opening scene in which ross be hold his late victim in his hand on his way to bury her while the lengthy and move stairway confrontation between gastoni and trentephol while the confrontation between ferrer and gastoni in which the latter sadistically taunt the former by take a hysterical spin on his wheelchair and and the twist end which conclude the film on an admirably ironic note . while the central premise of a girl hiding and aid a fugitive be reminiscent of whistle down the wind ( 1961 ) and the spirit of the beehive ( 1973 ) and the action set piece around the mid point where a band of villager break into ferrer house with the intention of smoke the rapist out be straight out of sam peckinpah straw dog ( 1971 ) . an odd attribute of the italian dvd i watch be that some over exposed shot jar alongside the more naturalistic lighting within these same scene and but i be not sure whether this be a fault of the dvd transfer or if they be film that way to begin with .