The Virgin and the Gypsy (1970)

Whilst Franco Nero does quite a decent job here as the smouldering traveller, the rest of the cast really needed an Alan Bates or Julie Christie to ignite some sort of spark into this rather timid adaptation of D.H. Lawrence shorter story. On their way to her the home she shares with her vicar father (Maurice Denham) and her family, "Yvette" (Joanna Shimkus) encounters the swarthy gypsy who invites them to have their fortunes told. Sceptical, they agree and shortly afterwards leave full of disdain for their erstwhile hosts. She, however, is smitten! Her sense of loneliness at home, a feeling she is unloved and merely waiting to be married off coupled with her increasingly raging hormones and desires starts to reap discord a-plenty at home, especially with the traditionalist granny "Fay Compton) and her aunt "Cissie" (Kay Walsh). Things aren't helped by the visit of the adulterous "Mrs. Fawcett" (Honor Blackman) and her beau "Maj. Eastwood" (Mark Burns) turning their otherwise sleepy community into a veritable hotbed of sin and depravity - well, sort of! Anyway, there's allegory galore as the story develops, the frustrations mount and the dam eventually bursts. The production standards are high, the costumes and general look of the film work well - but the screenplay produces way too much chatter and this illustration of story lacks bite, passion - indeed just about anything. It's not the best of stories from this author, but this adaptation is just all a bit too tame.