Michèle Bailly

When a good-natured factory supervisor living in Milan with his Northern wife returns to his native Sicily, a decades' old oath forces him to fulfill a nightmarish obligation.

In days of old there lived a son of Hercules, who dwelt near Mount Olympus, and as a result was endowed with godlike powers. A city of civilized people face an army of rampaging barbarians. The people at once go into battle and pray for deliverance from the horror and destruction weighing so heavily over them. Just as all seems lost, our hero arrives to save the day and the beautiful Princess Daphne from certain death. What follows is a tangled web of mystery and duplicity as the son of Hercules falls in love with the princess but finds himself distracted by the earthly form of Venus, “Goddess Of Love.”

Based on a Anton Chekhov short story, this slight tale has some good moments as the drama of a young boy's journey unfolds. The lad comes from peasant stock, and one day his family decides it would be best for him to go live with his uncle in the city. The only problem is that the city is all the way across the Russian steppes, and at this time in history, that arduous journey could only be undertaken by horse and carriage. Reminiscent of the American pioneer wagon trains heading West, the tale lacks any attacks from hostile forces but is filled with charming vignettes. In one part of the journey, the boy comes across some fishermen along a river, harpooning their catch for the day. In another segment, he is entertained when some folk dancers do a lively show. But in general, it is too long and unmomentous a journey to hold attention well for nearly two hours.

Um representante francês das Nações Unidas desapareceu sem deixar rastro, obrigando que o repórter Moreau e o fotógrafo alcoólatra Delmas fossem procurá-lo em Manhattan. Por meio de fotografias comprometedoras, reuniões clandestinas e chantagem, três mulheres descrevem o desaparecido.