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Being Twenty
Being Twenty
Being Twenty
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Being Twenty
Directed byFernando Di Leo
Screenplay byFernando Di Leo
Story byFernando Di Leo
Produced byVittorio Squillante
StarringGloria Guida
Lilli Carati
Ray Lovelock
Vincenzo Crocitti
CinematographyRoberto Gerardi
Music byFranco Campanino
Distributed byAlpherat S.p.a.
Release date
  • 14 July 1978 (1978-07-14)
Running time
94 minutes (full version)
81 min (censored version)
LanguageItalian

Being Twenty (Italian: Avere vent'anni, also known as To Be Twenty) is a 1978 Italian erotic-drama film directed by Fernando Di Leo and starring Gloria Guida and Lilli Carati.[1][2] It is probably the most censored and controversial film directed by Di Leo.

The title draws inspiration from a phrase by Paul Nizan, taken from the book Aden Arabia, which is used in the opening credits of the film: "I was twenty, I won't let anyone say those are the best years of your life"

Plot

[edit]

In the belated wake of the protest and emancipation years of the 1970s, Lia (Gloria Guida) and Tina (Lilli Carati) are two beautiful girls who meet on a beach, and realize that they have a lot in common, describing themselves as young, beautiful and pissed off. They decide to hitchhike their way to Rome to find a commune where they can stay and live the life of free love...or so they think. Nazariota, who runs the commune, alternately demands the girls engage in prostitution and selling encyclopedias door-to-door to support the collective.

During a police search, drugs are found in the commune (planted there by Riccetto, an informant within), and the two girls are to be sent back to their hometowns. While still hitchhiking, they decide to stop at an isolated restaurant, where they are harassed by a group of male patrons. Tina and Lia flee into the woods, where they are caught by the aggressive gang, attacked, raped, and brutally murdered.[3]

Cast

[edit]

Productio n

[edit]

The film was shot in 1978; the script was set almost a decade earlier. Di Leo's concept was to dramatize the free and emancipated girls who had established themselves in Italian society after the 1968 Sessantotto movement.[3]

Censorship

[edit]

The film had many problems with censorship, especially because of the very violent ending, in which the two girls are raped and beaten to death, with Tina even impaled with a branch stuck in her vagina. This version was immediately withdrawn from Italian cinemas, cut and extensively re-edited. This re-edited version had the girls survive in an inconclusive "happy ending," which completely changed the meaning of the film.[3]

Di Leo declared, "Gloria Guida and Lilli Carati were much loved by a certain audience, and the fact that I had them killed, raped in that ferocious way, I don't know...probably when the 'romoletto' went to the bar and the 'romoletta' asked him: 'What's Being Twenty like?', he answered, 'We're not going'. While usually if you like a film you say, 'Go and see it'. Having killed those two characters, on an unconscious level, must have influenced the fact that that while this was a film aimed at young people, young people didn't go to see it. It wasn't a failure, because it broke even, but it wasn't the success I thought it would be...".[3]

Different Versions

[edit]

Just a few days after its October 1978 release, the film was pulled from theaters and re-released with extensive cuts. The deleted scenes included the opening scene on the beach, the lesbian scenes between the two protagonists, and the violent ending.

In this alternate edit, the attack scene is moved to the beginning, then frozen into a still frame with voice over stating that police intervened and saved the girls. The theme of prostitution is diminished, with the girls now ostensibly seeking consensual sex encounters, and ending with them still hitchhiking to somewhere else. This is the only version that was dubbed into English.

The cut version was later released in the summer of 1979, but was not a great success. This version was later released on VHS in Italy and America, and to US cable TV.

In 2004, the director's original version was finally released on DVD, featuring the opening scene on the beach, the lesbian sequences, and the original ending. However, the uncut version was sourced from rougher quality material, while the censored version was sourced from better elements.

Home Video Release

[edit]

The film was released as a 2-Disc DVD by Raro Video on July 28, 2011.[citation needed] A Blu-Ray upgrade was released in November 2019.

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Being Twenty

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Being Twenty (Italian: Avere vent'anni) is a 1978 Italian erotic drama film directed by , starring as Lia and as Tina. The story follows two young, rebellious women who leave their provincial hometown to hitchhike to in search of sexual freedom and a utopian commune, but they soon encounter exploitation, , police involvement, and a dangerous criminal gang. The film blends elements of comedy, coming-of-age drama, and thriller, abruptly shifting from lighthearted escapades to darker themes of sexual violence and societal critique, reflecting the director's intent to expose the perils faced by emancipated youth in late-1960s Italy. Shot primarily in Rome and its countryside, it runs 94 minutes in its uncut version and features supporting performances by Ray Lovelock, Vittorio Caprioli, and Vincenzo Crocitti. Produced by International Daunia Film, Being Twenty became one of the most censored Italian films of the era due to its explicit , , and political undertones challenging social norms around youth liberation and gender roles. , best known for gritty crime thrillers like (1972), used the project to satirize the movement while highlighting the exploitation hidden beneath its ideals. Upon release, the film faced bans and heavy edits in and abroad, contributing to its cult status among exploitation cinema enthusiasts. Modern restorations, such as the 2019 Raro Video Blu-ray, include both censored and uncut versions, allowing audiences to appreciate Di Leo's original vision, which continues to provoke discussions on , sexuality, and in European cinema.

Background and Production

Historical Context

The Sessantotto movement of 1968 marked a pivotal moment in Italian history, igniting widespread student protests across universities that demanded educational reform, , and an end to authoritarian structures in academia and society. These protests, influenced by global events like the uprisings in , extended into the as a "long hot autumn" of , fostering countercultural experiments such as urban communes and social centers where youth reclaimed spaces for communal living and self-organization. The movement promoted sexual liberation as a rejection of traditional norms, encouraging women—particularly in universities—to assert autonomy over their bodies and challenge patriarchal controls, which intertwined with broader calls for and personal freedom. In the 1970s, Italian cinema reflected these societal shifts through genres like —gritty crime films critiquing corruption and social injustice—and erotic-dramas that explored themes of desire and liberation amid moral upheaval. Director , renowned for his works such as the Milieu Trilogy (1972–1973), transitioned toward youth-oriented narratives in the late decade, incorporating elements of countercultural and generational conflict into erotic-dramas that mirrored the era's rebellious spirit. By the late 1970s, cultural attitudes toward youth emphasized freedom through autonomous movements, where young people and workers occupied factories and streets to demand rights against exploitation, though this often clashed with state repression. gained momentum, with groups like Rivolta Femminile advocating and self-awareness to dismantle patriarchal family structures, while pushing for reproductive rights including legalization in 1978. However, persisted as a stark societal issue, exemplified by unchecked police brutality during protests—such as the 1977 killing of feminist activist Giorgiana Masi—and entrenched views treating as a moral rather than personal until legal reforms decades later.

Development

Fernando Di Leo, an established figure in Italian genre cinema through his direction of gritty crime films and in the early 1970s, served as both director and co-writer for Being Twenty, leveraging his expertise in blending with pulp elements to shape the project's vision. His involvement stemmed from a desire to explore contemporary beyond traditional genre tropes, marking a shift toward more provocative dramatic territory. Producer Vittorio Squillante oversaw the financing and logistical planning, navigating the tight fiscal realities common to mid-1970s Italian independent productions, where low-cost strategies enabled quick-turnaround amid industry contraction. These constraints, often limiting shoots to minimal crews and locations, reflected broader economic pressures on small-scale Italian filmmakers during a period of declining domestic market shares for local productions. The script centered on themes of disillusionment, highlighting the clash between aspirations for and harsh societal realities, with an emphasis on female emancipation and rebellion drawing inspiration from the socio-political unrest of 1970s , including the Years of Lead.

Filming

Principal Photography

Principal photography for Being Twenty took place primarily in , , , capturing urban streets, rural roads, woods, and beach areas to depict the protagonists' journey and encounters in a commune setting. The production occurred in 1978, aligning with the film's release that year, and involved shooting sequences that highlighted the characters' pursuit of youth freedom through spontaneous road travel. Cinematographer Roberto Gerardi utilized a verité-style approach for street scenes in , employing naturalistic lighting and capturing authentic reactions from local passersby to create a raw, documentary-like aesthetic that enhanced the 's sense of immediacy and realism. The erotic elements, including nude scenes featuring stars and , contributed to the production's notoriety, though specific on-set challenges related to discretion during filming are not well-documented in available accounts.

Post-Production

The post-production of Being Twenty (Avere vent'anni), directed by , involved refining the raw footage captured during to balance its , comedic, and abruptly violent tones. Editor Amedeo Giomini assembled an initial cut running 94 minutes, which preserved the film's original graphic ending depicting extreme violence against the protagonists. This version highlighted the narrative's shift from youthful rebellion to societal backlash but was deemed too confrontational for broad release. Sound design followed standard Italian cinema practices of the late , with most recorded in to accommodate international distribution and the film's multilingual cast. Composer Franco Campanino crafted the original score, blending rhythms, strummed guitar motifs, and disco-infused tracks to evoke the era's themes of sexual and social emancipation among the young protagonists. Key cues, such as the title theme "Avere vent'anni," featured choral and instrumental variations that underscored moments of liberation and communal living in the hippie enclave. Upon its 1978 theatrical release, the original version shocked audiences with its graphic sexual and violent content, leading to poor box office performance. This reception prompted adjustments by producers, including trimming scenes to mitigate the abrupt shift to horror in the finale, resulting in the 82-minute recut version that toned down certain elements while retaining its provocative core.

Synopsis and Themes

Plot Summary

Lia (Gloria Guida) and Tina (Lilli Carati), two young women in their early twenties disillusioned with their provincial lives, decide to hitchhike from the Italian countryside to Rome in search of a utopian commune where they can embrace ideals of sexual freedom and communal living inspired by post-1968 youth culture. Along the way, the pair encounters various exploitative men who view their independence and revealing attire as invitations for harassment, including lecherous truck drivers who demand sexual favors for rides and lascivious police officers who subject them to invasive searches and threats. Stranded and penniless after these ordeals, and fall in with a criminal of criminals led by the charismatic but ruthless Riccetto (Ray Lovelock), who initially offers them shelter but soon coerces them into to generate income for the group. As their involvement with the deepens, the women endure escalating and degradation, including forced sexual encounters with clients under the gang's control, until they attempt to flee their captors. In the film's , Riccetto and his hunt down the escaping women in a remote wooded area, subjecting them to a brutal before murdering them in a shocking display of brutality that underscores their tragic disillusionment.

Themes

Being Twenty critiques the myths of sexual liberation prevalent in the late and early , portraying communes not as bastions of but as deceptive environments rife with exploitation and . The protagonists, two young women on a journey, initially embody youthful rebellion against societal norms, only to encounter a commune where their is undermined by demands to "satisfy desires" in exchange for shelter, revealing the patriarchal undercurrents masquerading as communal harmony. This setup exposes how the countercultural promise of often served as a veneer for male dominance and female subjugation, a theme Di Leo amplifies through the women's encounters with lecherous men who view their independence as an invitation for predation. The film delves into gender violence and female within the context of 1970s , employing nudity and scenes as stark metaphors for broader societal . These elements underscore the protagonists' precarious position in a world where their pursuit of self-expression invites brutal reprisals, culminating in a shocking sequence of and that highlights the fragility of women's bodies amid male entitlement. Di Leo uses these depictions not to sensationalize but to illustrate the pervasive threat of , where women's attempts at liberation provoke violent backlash from a conservative underbelly, transforming personal agency into a fatal . Through its narrative, Being Twenty offers Di Leo's commentary on the post-Sessantotto disillusionment in , contrasting the idealism of the protests with the harsh realities of the ensuing decade. The characters' initial about nomadic and gives way to encounters with and , reflecting the erosion of revolutionary fervor into cynicism and isolation. This thematic arc critiques how the utopian visions of youth movements devolved into exploitative facades, leaving individuals—particularly women—exposed to the unyielding structures of power they sought to escape, thereby encapsulating a broader cultural letdown.

Cast and Crew

Principal Cast

Gloria Guida stars as , the pragmatic yet naive young woman who hitchhikes through in search of independence and sexual liberation, only to confront exploitation and hardship. Having gained fame as Miss Teenager Italia in 1971 and through leading roles in lighthearted erotic comedies like Monika (1974) and (1974), Guida shifted toward more dramatic fare in the mid-1970s with films like Being Twenty, where her performance emphasizes Lia's emotional vulnerability and descent into desperation. Lilli Carati portrays Tina, Lia's rebellious companion from a wealthy background, driven by a desire to escape societal constraints and embrace . A former model and runner-up in the 1974 pageant, Carati was at the outset of her acting career with this film, following minor roles in earlier productions; her on-screen rapport with Guida shines in intimate nude scenes that underscore the characters' supportive bond amid the story's erotic and perilous encounters. Ray Lovelock plays Rico, the charismatic leader of a countercultural gang that draws the protagonists into a world of petty crime and . Born in to an English father and Italian mother, Lovelock was a versatile Anglo-Italian performer whose early discovery in a rock band at the Piper Club informed his bohemian screen presence; in Being Twenty, he channels this musician background to depict Rico as a free-spirited, guitar-strumming figurehead whose allure masks underlying danger.

Production Personnel

Fernando Di Leo directed Being Twenty (original title: Avere vent'anni), infusing the film with his distinctive vision that merged eroticism and social critique to examine the struggles of youth in . As the film's writer, Di Leo co-authored the , emphasizing themes of female autonomy and against societal constraints through the protagonists' nomadic journey, portraying wandering as a of individual liberty amid cultural shifts toward nonconformity. This approach critiqued the era's tensions between personal desire and institutional repression, using the erotic elements to underscore broader commentary on and generational defiance. Vittorio Squillante produced the film, managing its overall execution within the constraints typical of Italian exploitation cinema of the period. His role included coordinating logistics for the modest production and facilitating distribution arrangements across European markets. Roberto Gerardi served as , capturing the film's vibrant yet gritty visual style that highlighted the contrast between youthful exuberance and underlying menace through dynamic outdoor shots and intimate framing. Amedeo Moriani edited the picture, ensuring a tight pacing that balanced lighthearted comedic sequences with escalating dramatic tension, contributing to the film's abrupt tonal shifts.

Release and Controversy

Theatrical Release

Being Twenty (original Italian title Avere vent'anni) premiered theatrically in on July 14, 1978. With an original runtime of 94 minutes, the film received a limited theatrical rollout amid the crowded Italian cinema landscape dominated by similar exploitation and erotic genres during the late 1970s. Promotional efforts positioned the movie as an erotic youth drama, capitalizing on the appeal of its lead actresses and —both former beauty queens—to attract audiences seeking lighthearted sexual escapades. Italian posters prominently featured the stars in provocative poses, emphasizing themes of liberation and sensuality to align with contemporary trends in sexploitation cinema. Internationally, distribution remained constrained, with exports primarily to select European markets and the under the alternate English title To Be Twenty. In , it screened on July 6, 1979, while a censored version was distributed in the U.S., reflecting efforts to adapt the content for broader appeal despite the film's controversial elements.

The film Avere vent'anni encountered significant opposition from the Italian Board of Censors upon its initial release, primarily due to its graphic depictions of and in the climactic scenes involving the protagonists and . These elements were deemed excessively violent and morally objectionable, prompting the board to demand substantial alterations to mitigate the content's impact on audiences. As a result, the original 94-minute version was withdrawn from theaters shortly after its debut, limiting its commercial run and sparking immediate controversy. In response to the censors' requirements, producers created an 81-minute re-edited version released in 1979, which drastically altered the narrative to comply with regulatory standards. Key modifications included the removal of explicit , such as the detailed and sequences, and the addition of an escape sequence allowing the protagonists to survive their ordeal. This censored iteration concluded with an imposed "," transforming the film's tragic original resolution—where the young women meet a brutal fate—into a more reassuring, inconclusive resolution that softened the story's critique of societal . The ignited broader legal and cultural debates in during the late regarding the portrayal of erotic violence in cinema, particularly in exploitation and erotic-drama genres that blended sexual liberation with horror elements. Critics and filmmakers argued that such interventions stifled artistic expression on themes of youth rebellion and gender dynamics post-1968, while conservative voices praised the cuts for protecting public morals amid rising concerns over media influence on social norms.

Distribution and Legacy

Home Media Releases

The uncut version of Being Twenty received its first home media release in as a Collector's Edition DVD from Raro Video in , marking the first commercial availability of director Fernando Di Leo's original cut, which had been suppressed due to its controversial content. This edition included English subtitles and bonus materials such as interviews and alternate scenes, providing viewers access to the film's complete without the approximately 14 minutes excised for the theatrical release. In 2011, Raro Video issued a U.S. DVD edition of the uncut version, featuring a new English-dubbed track alongside the original Italian audio, English subtitles, and special features including a 20-minute on the film's and history. This release emphasized high-quality transfers from the original elements and included both the full 97-minute Italian cut and an 84-minute English export version for comparative viewing. Raro Video followed with a high-definition Blu-ray in 2019, sourced from a new 2K restoration of the 35mm negative, offering the uncut 98-minute version in with improved DTS-HD audio tracks in Italian and English, along with optional English subtitles and a collector's booklet detailing the film's legacy. Special features expanded to include trailers, a photo gallery, and essays on Di Leo's career. Kino Lorber released another Blu-ray edition in 2020, also featuring a digital remaster from the original negative, both the uncut (running 98 minutes in this transfer) and the censored theatrical version, plus a new English subtitle translation and the documentary Twenty Years for a . As of 2025, Being Twenty is available for streaming on platforms such as (free with library or institutional access), with availability varying by region; for example, it is accessible in the U.S. but subject to geo-restrictions in parts of due to rights licensing. Physical editions remain the primary means for accessing both versions without interruptions.

Cultural Impact

Being Twenty (original title: Avere vent'anni), directed by in 1978, emerged as a during the through Italian genre film retrospectives that highlighted its provocative blend of exploitation and . These retrospectives, often featured on dedicated cult movie platforms and in academic discussions, positioned the film as a notorious example of Di Leo's boundary-pushing style within the and genres, emphasizing its abrupt tonal shifts and unflinching critique of patriarchal structures. The film's reception praised its satirical take on feminism, portraying two young women whose radical ideals clash violently with rural misogyny, serving as an ambitious pro-feminist parable that exposed the limitations and hypocrisies of the era's gender politics. This aspect drew scholarly attention for Di Leo's intent to create a feminist document amid exploitation conventions, influencing later analyses of his oeuvre in . In terms of broader influence, Being Twenty left an indelible mark on Italian cinema by shaping subsequent erotic-dramas and exploitation films, with its raw depiction of female defiance and societal backlash inspiring works that navigated similar themes of and . Discussions in have increasingly focused on Di Leo's career, crediting the movie with elevating his reputation beyond crime thrillers through its multi-genre experimentation and social edge. In the 2020s, amid the , the film has undergone modern reevaluations that highlight its stark portrayal of gender violence, framing the protagonists' encounters as a prescient commentary on rape culture and systemic against women. These reinterpretations, appearing in theses and cultural critiques, underscore how Di Leo's narrative—beginning with youthful and ending in tragedy—resonates with contemporary discussions on feminist resistance and the perils of misogynistic backlash.

References

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