The Belt
Seen it?1989 | 93 min | Drama, Romance
Weeknight Watchearly ratingWhy it’s a Weeknight Watch
With almost no lasting buzz, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for romantics.
- The mood
- Warm and romantic.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 33 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in Italian, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
Vittorio, an American novelist teaching in Rome, meets the beautiful but damaged Bianca and they rapidly fall into an urgent, tempestuous affair. He's hesitant over their relationship since she seems to thrive on conflict and is constantly baiting him into physical altercation. Bianca gives Vittorio an exquisite leather belt as a gift; he knows immediately that she wants him to whip her with it. Driven by his craving for her, Vittorio complies to Bianca's desire. Their relationship escalates into a dark realm of S&M which becomes more and more self-destructive.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsNot counted
Not enough reviews on record yet
- AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Reach & staying powerSolid
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactWeak
About 4K people sought it out in the past year
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Cast & crew
Directed by Giuliana Gamba
- James RussoVittorio De Simone
- Eleonora BrigliadoriBianca Ravelli
- Giuliana CalandraBianca's Mother
- Anna BonaiutoThe Judge
- Karen MooreNora
- Lidia BroccolinoBianca's Friend
- Riccardo SalvinoProf. Achille Biondelli
- Delia D'AlbertiBiondelli's Wife
- Claire HardwickVittorio's Mistress
- Valentino ZeichenSelf (as Mario Zeichen)