Girl With A Suitcase (1961)

by Pete Roberts

The emotions run high in this follow-up to Valerio Zurlini's war-torn love story Violent Summer. The beautiful Claudia Cardinale (The Professionals, Once Upon A Time In The West) stars as Aida, a lonely, desperate prostitute who drifts from one uncaring lover to the next. After being ditched flat by her latest "boyfriend" Marcello Fainardi (Corrando Pani), Aida decides to search for him. Marcello is a rich kid who lives outside of the city. When he arrives home, his younger brother Lorenzo (Jaques Perrin) learns about Marcello's trist with Aida (he refers to her as an "idiot"). Marcello tells Lorenzo to get rid of her, but Lorenzo immediately sympathizes with Aida instead. Where Marcello left off, Lorenzo picks up. The film is a rollercoaster of emotions as Lorenzo and Aida form an uneasy friendship. Lorenzo is clearly in love with Aida while she's simply using him. The interesting thing about Claudia Cardinale's character is the way she manipulates those around her. As soon as you think Aida feels something real, she pulls away emotionally. She's a deeply damaged person who will never be able to truly love, and the final scene of the film provides great insight into her personality.

There is a great little cameo by Gian Maria Volonte, who movie fans will know from Sergio Leone's Fistful of Dollars (1964) and For A Few Dollars More (1965). Volonte plays Aida's estranged musician husband and even he doesn't want her around! The film looks beautiful thanks to the newly restored transfer by No Shame Films. The cinematography by Tino Santoni and the direction by Valerio Zurlini are both excellent. The imagery gives the film a dreamy look. Both Violent Summer and Girl With A Suitcase have introduced me to yet another great Italian filmmaker that I had never heard of before this DVD set was released. This is what I love about watching movies. You may have dry spells when certain films don't grab your interest, but if you can find one gem, it can completely re-energize your passion. These films certainly did that for me.