Mandragola

Subtle adaptation of the long-banned Machiavelli classic, this film features Valli as a husband desperate for his faithful wife to have a baby. Leroy poses as a doctor, convincing the wife, Schiaffino, to take a potion made of the mandrake weed. According to Leroy, this will cause the first man who lies with her to die, but it will also cure her sterility. Leroy disguises himself in order to become the intended victim, ultimately revealing himself to Schiaffino. The two fall in love, and feel justified in continuing to dupe the husband, who is more concerned with a successor for his money than with fulfilling his wife's needs. The performances, dubbed in English, a...