Scacco alla regina (Check to the Queen). 1969. Italy. Directed by Pasquale Festa Campanile. Screenplay by Tullio Pinelli, Brunello Rondi. With Rosanna Schiaffino, Haydée Politoff, Romolo Valli, Aldo Giuffrè, Daniela Surina, Gabriele Tinti. 4K digital restoration by Cinecittà; courtesy Cinecittà. In Italian; English subtitles. 115 min.
Directed by one of the most prolific directors of the commedia sexy all’italiana, Check to the Queen, the story of a manipulative, famous actress and her adoring female companion, stands out as one of the most visually sophisticated films of an infamous genre known for sleazy decadence. And yet, like many films in the same league, its provocations are a clever vehicle for the deconstruction of class, sexuality, and gender relations in a society in which manipulation and corruption are ingredients of subversive pleasure. Piero Piccioni’s loungy acid-jazz soundtrack and Carlo Rambaldi’s life-sized electromechanical white horse are a big part of the film’s psychedelic, kinky allure. Presented in a new digital restoration by Cinecittà