Black Journal (1977)

Original title

Gran bollito

Directed by

Mauro Bolognini

Genre

black comedy film

Country

Italy

Runtime

1h 55m

Rated

VM14

Rating

5.5 of 10 from 20 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A mother kills people and uses their bodies to make soap and cakes. She believes these sacrifices will keep her son from being taken away to the army.

darkly comicmacabresatiricalabsurdunsettlingcampyoffbeatgrim

What happens

Black Journal (Italian: Gran bollito, lit. 'Large bollito') is a 1977 Italian black comedy film directed by Mauro Bolognini. It is loosely based on real-life serial killer Leonarda Cianciulli, who killed three women between 1939 and 1940, and turned their bodies into soap and teacakes. It stars Shelley Winters, Max von Sydow, Renato Pozzetto and Alberto Lionello, with the latter three in a dual role as both the victims of the killer, in drag, and those who apprehend her. In the film, a middle-aged mother is convinced that she can keep her only son safe and in her custody by offering human sacrifices to Death. After having already killed three victims, she plans further sacrifices to protect her son from the perceived threat of military service. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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