The Vacation -la Vacanza- - Tinto Brass 1971 -s... «iOS»

: She escapes and finds companionship with social outcasts, including a birdcatcher/poacher named (Franco Nero) and a group of gypsies. Tragic Cycle

Upon release, La Vacanza was a critical and commercial disaster. Audiences expecting a steamy Brass melodrama were met with an art-house endurance test. Critics called it pretentious, ugly, and meandering. Brass himself would later distance himself from the film’s bleakness, pivoting toward the comedic eroticism that would define his brand.

While often searched for due to its erotic content and the presence of Vanessa Redgrave, The Vacation is fundamentally a moody, art-house drama. It captures a specific moment in Italian history where the sexual revolution met the fading hopes of the political left, all wrapped in the distinct visual style of one of Italy’s most controversial directors.

The Vacation is essential viewing for anyone interested in: The Vacation -La Vacanza- - Tinto Brass 1971 -S...

One of the most striking aspects of "The Vacation" is its use of setting as a character in its own right. The villa, with its sumptuous decor and stunning views, serves as a symbol of the characters' aspirational values and their desire for status and respectability. As the group's dynamics deteriorate, the villa becomes a claustrophobic and oppressive environment, reflecting the characters' growing sense of unease and disillusionment.

Shot in the lush yet stark countryside of North-Eastern Italy, the film features a screenplay co-written by Brass, Roberto Lerici, and Vincenzo M. Siniscalchi. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival on September 4, 1971, before securing its wider Italian theatrical release on April 5, 1972.

The film’s Italian theatrical release followed on April 5, 1972. However, La Vacanza never achieved widespread commercial success. It remained largely unknown outside of Italy for decades, seen only by dedicated cinephiles who sought out rare, poor-quality VHS transfers. The film’s obscurity was compounded by the fact that no official DVD or Blu-ray release has ever materialized, despite announcements in the late 2000s that such a release was forthcoming. : She escapes and finds companionship with social

: Critics often compare the film's atmosphere to the works of Luis Buñuel, blending folk-style music with bizarre, dreamlike scenarios. Key Production Details Tinto Brass

There is no catharsis. No one learns a lesson. The infamous final shot (which I won’t spoil, but involves a static camera and a long, long silence) is one of the most nihilistic endings in Italian cinema. It suggests that the vacation is permanent. There is no return to the office, no return to normalcy. This is the new normal: the slow rot of a society that has exhausted its ideologies.

Florinda Bolkan’s raw, nerve-shattered performance. Franco Nero’s dual-role brilliance. The unbearable tension of a single fly buzzing in a locked room. Critics called it pretentious, ugly, and meandering

Vanessa Redgrave, Franco Nero, Leopoldo Trieste, Corin Redgrave Cinematography Silvano Ippoliti Pasinetti Award (Venice Film Festival, 1971) or more details on Tinto Brass’s shift toward the erotic genre in later years? Vacation (1971) - IMDb

Critical opinion on La Vacanza remains divided, though the balance has shifted toward appreciation over the years. The film currently holds a rating of 5.4 out of 10 on IMDb, based on a relatively small number of user votes. Some critics have been baffled by the film’s lack of conventional structure. One IMDb reviewer, writing in 2010, bluntly stated that the biggest mystery surrounding the film was “how it managed to get named ‘Best Italian Film’ at the Venice Film Festival,” calling it “impenetrable” and noting that even the charismatic presence of Redgrave and Nero could not entirely salvage the “ungodly mixture”.

The most critically respected element of the film is its unusual and haunting soundtrack. While Fiorenzo Carpi composed the score, the lyrics for several songs were written by real patients from a mental hospital. The resulting tracks, including "Se io non ci sarò" and "La voglia di scannarli tutti quanti", are performed by Gigi Proietti and Vanessa Redgrave. They offer a raw, unsettling, and deeply human glimpse into the minds of those society had locked away, making the music a powerful complement to the film's theme of institutional control.