Secret Fantasy

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Secret Fantasy (Il merlo maschio, The Naked Cello in the UK) is a 1971 Italian sex comedy directed by Pasquale Festa Campanile. Based on Luciano Bianciardi’s Il complesso di Lot, the film stars Lando Buzzanca as Niccolò Vivaldi, a frustrated cellist, and Laura Antonelli as his wife Costanza. When Niccolò becomes fascinated by Costanza’s beauty, he starts taking photos of her in provocative poses to boost his own standing. He shares the images with a friend and eventually with the entire orchestra. Costanza even agrees to pose nude, and the situation spirals out of control, culminating in a public nude display of Costanza at Verona Arena during a performance of Aida. The strain drives Niccolò to a mental institution. Filmed in Verona, the movie uses the Commedia all’italiana style to offer a light sociological look at candaulism, a rare topic at the time. It features the orchestra world, with music by Riz Ortolani, and runs 112 minutes.