Trailers
Description
Livia, the attractive wife of a high-ranking Ministry of the People's Republic official, is accompanied by Ugo, a lawyer, her admirer and her husband's spy, to Venice. There, she is to meet her lover Helmut Schultz, a lieutenant in the infamous SS with whom she is having a passionate love affair. During the journey, Livia retraces the steps of her sexual aberration. But a surprise awaits her in the lagoon city.
Starring
Awards
Key opinion
Senso '45 is a polarizing erotic drama that attempts to transpose a classic literary story into the final days of fascist Italy. While some appreciate its psychological depth and atmospheric connection to historical themes, others find the narrative sluggish, the characterizations hollow, and the director's fetishistic focus distracting.
| Production | The film successfully establishes a haunting, evocative atmosphere by setting its volatile romance against the visceral, decaying backdrop of Venice in 1945. | |
| Acting | Gabriel Garcìa’s performance as the SS officer is lauded for its intense physicality, successfully embodying a blend of aggression and allure. | |
| Pacing | The film's pacing is a major point of contention, with some viewers finding the contemplative tempo tedious and sluggish compared to other dramas. | |
| Originality | Opinions on the film's eroticism are divided between those who find it psychologically intimate and those who view the sexual scenes as unnatural or unappealingly fetishistic. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay is criticized for lacking narrative clarity and failing to provide sufficient motivation for the lead characters' erratic behaviors. | |
| Acting | Casting choices for the lead protagonist are considered misaligned, as the lead actress’s age and screen presence undermine the credibility of her character's infatuation. |