La Strega in Amore (1966)
Titled The Witch in the US, Damiano Damiani's film is an intriguing piece of celluloid which tells the story of Richard Johnson's historian who is asked by an old woman to move into her mansion and catalogue a vast library of erotica. Once there he discovers Rosanna Schiaffino, a beautiful yet very strange young woman and Gian Maria Volontè, a man who appears to be the womans play thing.
This is quite a weird and wonderful film, reminiscent of later Bava efforts like Baron Blood and Lisa and the Devil in the way horror is combined with romance and death. Although the narrative is quite confusing, it's linear but asks many questions all of which are answered during the finale. However the whole plot is really spoiled by the films translated title of The Witch in Love, meaning you can constantly guess the hows and whys (mostly) of what is developing on screen. Still it's a pretty good effort and quite eerie and erotically hypnotic in it's overall effect.
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