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The Raffle
The Raffle
The Raffle
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The Raffle
Theatrical release poster
ItalianLa riffa
Directed byFrancesco Laudadio
Written byFrancesco Laudadio
Produced by
  • Jacopo Capanna
  • Giuseppe Perugia
StarringMonica Bellucci
CinematographyCristiano Pogany
Edited byUgo De Rossi
Music byAntonio Di Pofi
Production
companies
  • Produttori Associati
  • Filmola
Distributed byArtisti Associati
Release date
  • 15 November 1991 (1991-11-15) (Italy)
Running time
93 minutes
CountryItaly
LanguageItalian

The Raffle (Italian: La riffa) is a 1991 Italian comedy-drama film written and directed by Francesco Laudadio. It marked the film debut of Monica Bellucci.[1][2]

Plot

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In Bari, Italy, Francesca, a beautiful and wealthy woman, is widowed and left with her daughter Giulia, and a pile of debts incurred by her husband Maurizio, whose betrayals she also discovers. On the advice of her friend Cesare, who is also a lawyer, Francesca sells off her villa by the sea, furniture, furs and jewelry, as well as a boat (which Cesare buys), to pay for at least one year of rent, and the tuition for little Giulia's exclusive school. There are no job prospects for Francesca, so Francesca and Cesare decide to hold a raffle in which the prize will be Francesca. The raffle will be limited to twenty participants, who will each pay 100 million lire. The winner will have the right to live with Francesca for four years and can ask for whatever he wants. Raffle ticket buyers include friends of the late husband and Cesare himself.

One day, Francesca runs over a young man, Antonio, with whom she begins a love affair. He seems to know about the raffle and, despite proclaiming his amorous passion, he would be willing for her to be enjoyed by the winner, continuing his secret meetings with her. In reality, the penniless young man aims over time to benefit from the raffle money.

A few days before the raffle drawing, however, the prosecutor receives a complaint about the raffle and the lawyer. The lawyer's office is searched, and a scandal threatens that could disturb local society. When questioned by the police, Francesca does not deny the story of the raffle, but says that the prize is actually the boat purchased by Cesare and the friends have mobilized to help her and the child. To avoid a scandal, the commissioner accepts this story, after which Francesca takes a plane and leaves forever, living off the raffle money.

Cast

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References

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The Raffle

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from Grokipedia
The Raffle (Italian: La riffa) is a 1991 Italian comedy-drama written and directed by Laudadio, notable for serving as the screen debut of actress . The plot centers on Francesca, a young widow left in financial distress after her husband's death, who auctions herself off through a to pay his debts and support her daughter. The scheme faces complications from legal issues and a new romance, exploring themes of desperation, , and female agency in a conservative Italian village. The features an led by Bellucci, with Giulio Scarpati as her love interest and as her lawyer friend Cesare, blending humor, social satire, and drama. Laudadio's direction draws on neorealist influences with comedic elements. It received a modest reception, with a runtime of 93 minutes and an IMDb rating of 5.2 out of 10 based on 1,622 user votes (as of November 2025). Premiering in , The Raffle reflects early 1990s Italian cinema's engagement with taboos, though it is lesser-known internationally compared to Bellucci's later .

Film overview

Synopsis

Following the recent death of her husband in a car accident, Francesca, a young widow in , , finds herself burdened with massive debts that threaten her and her young daughter's future. Desperate to raise funds, she organizes a offering herself as the —the winner's right to live with her for four years—with the goal of collecting two billion lire (from twenty affluent participants each paying 100 million lire). The late husband's luxury yacht becomes central to the resolution. The unconventional lottery quickly garners intense local interest from affluent men in the community, sparking widespread buzz and social controversy. Authorities intervene, ruling the original prize illegal and redefining it to award the itself (purchased by her friend Cesare) instead, while Francesca retains the proceeds. She then leaves with her daughter, living off the raffle money. This film marks the screen debut of Monica Bellucci in the lead role of Francesca.

Themes and style

The Raffle explores central themes of desperation and experienced by a navigating financial ruin in a patriarchal society. The protagonist's predicament underscores the economic vulnerabilities faced by women after losing a male provider, highlighting how societal structures exacerbate personal crises through limited agency and . This motif critiques male entitlement, portraying men as opportunistic figures who exploit the widow's vulnerability for personal gain. The film's use of the raffle serves as a for the of chance in determining fate, transforming a desperate act into a commentary on moral ambiguity and community hypocrisy. Participants, drawn from the affluent class, reveal underlying perversions and double standards, the pretense of bourgeois respectability. As noted by critic Maurizio Porro, the narrative incorporates "the touch of the " and " of customs," exposing societal vices without overt moralizing. Stylistically, The Raffle blends comedy-drama with elements of light , employing a slow-paced, character-driven approach to build tension and introspection. Director Francesco Laudadio's polemical tone targets bigotry and prejudice, drawing on neorealist influences to emphasize everyday economic struggles amid Italy's social landscape. The coastal Italian settings, particularly in Bari's affluent and seaside locales, evoke isolation and temptation, enhancing the themes of and fleeting opportunity. Classified as an Italian comedy-drama, the film echoes sexy comedies while incorporating social , though some critiques note its mechanical execution limits deeper impact. The raffle device uniquely highlights moral , leaving viewers to ponder the boundaries between survival and . Gian Luigi Rondi praised its "impeccable and even astute" portrayal of society, underscoring the director's adept handling of interconnected events.

Production

Development

The original screenplay for The Raffle (original title: La riffa) was written by its director, Francesco Laudadio, who envisioned a story centered on a lonely whose primary assets are her and , compelling her to auction herself in a raffle to resolve her late husband's debts. This narrative drew inspiration from Italian social issues of the early 1990s, including economic disparity and the pressures on individuals within affluent yet precarious bourgeois society, presented through a satirical lens on personal ambition and societal norms. Development commenced in , with Laudadio securing funding primarily from the production companies Produttori Associati and Filmola, alongside distribution support from Artisti Associati. The key producers involved were Giuseppe Perugia, who oversaw operations for Produttori Associati and Filmola; Loretta Bernabei; and Jacopo Capanna, who collectively shaped the project's modest budget to fit the scale of an independent Italian comedy-drama. A primary challenge during the scripting revisions was balancing the film's comedic tone—modeled after the style of —with its underlying dramatic exploration of financial desperation and social hypocrisy. This phase laid the groundwork for the film's blend of humor and critique, culminating in starting in early 1991. In casting the lead role of Francesca, Laudadio selected newcomer , launching her cinematic career.

Filming

Principal photography for The Raffle took place in . The production primarily utilized coastal areas in the region near and Puglia (Bari and ), capturing key scenes on beaches and aboard a yacht to evoke the film's raffle-centric narrative; interior sequences were shot in studios located in . Cinematographer Cristiano Pogany led the visual team, employing natural light to heighten the dramatic tension in outdoor shots. Antonio Di Pofi crafted a light orchestral score that complemented the film's intimate tone.

Cast and characters

Principal cast

portrays Francesca, a desperate yet resilient burdened by her late husband's debts, who organizes a offering a night with her as the prize to resolve her financial woes. This role served as Bellucci's film debut at age 27, marking a pivotal in her transition from a prominent modeling career in and to . Her performance emphasizes Francesca's vulnerability in moments of emotional turmoil and sensuality during the film's more intimate sequences, contributing to the character's central appeal in the comedy-drama. Giulio Scarpati plays , a local infatuated with Francesca, whose impulsive purchase of tickets injects comedic timing and relatable awkwardness into the . Scarpati's portrayal draws on his established background in Italian theater and early television roles, enhancing the film's ensemble dynamic with his character's earnest humor. Massimo Ghini embodies Cesare, Francesca's affluent solicitor friend who helps orchestrate the , layering the role with cynical wit that contrasts the story's lighter tones.

Supporting cast

The supporting cast in The Raffle features actors who enhance the film's depiction of small-town Italian society, emphasizing and communal interactions surrounding the central event. Paolo Busiri Vici D'Arcevia portrays a raffle participant, embodying entitlement in scenes of lighthearted banter among affluent friends that underscore class tensions within the community. Elena Cantarone plays Serena, Francesca's young daughter, whose presence introduces emotional depth by contrasting childlike innocence with the morally complex adult schemes unfolding around her. This role heightens the personal stakes for the protagonist amid the town's collective involvement in the . Carla Cassola and Sandra Collodel appear as community women whose gossip and judgmental commentary deliver , vividly illustrating the moral hypocrisy and social scrutiny prevalent in the rural setting. Their performances draw from the ensemble's roots in Italian theater traditions, contributing to the authentic texture of group scenes.

Release and reception

Distribution and box office

The film received a theatrical release in on November 15, 1991. Internationally, The Raffle had limited distribution, including a release in on June 12, 1993, but no wide theatrical release outside . The film achieved modest commercial success in , ranking #84 in the 1991-92 season. As of 2025, the film is available for rent or purchase on .

Critical response and legacy

Upon its release in Italy in 1991, La Riffa received mixed reviews from critics, who praised Monica Bellucci's screen debut for its natural charisma and sensuality while critiquing the film's uneven tone and mechanical execution of its comedic elements. The picture was seen as an attempt to satirize social hypocrisies and vulgarity in Italian high society, though some reviewers noted it struggled to balance charm with predictability, ultimately falling short of deeper insight. Italian outlets highlighted Bellucci's performance as a standout, with her portrayal of the desperate widow Francesca injecting vitality into an otherwise formulaic narrative. The film garnered no major awards, reflecting its modest critical footprint at the time, though it contributed to early buzz around Bellucci's potential. In retrospect, La Riffa holds significance primarily as the launchpad for Bellucci's career, marking her transition from modeling to and paving the way for international roles in films like (1992) and Malèna (2000), which established her as a global icon of cinema. Later analyses have noted the film's exploration of female objectification and agency amid patriarchal pressures, viewing Francesca's scheme as a subversive commentary on economic desperation and male desire, themes that resonate more pointedly in modern feminist readings of 1990s Italian cinema. As of 2025, the film maintains a middling among audiences, with an user rating of 5.2/10 based on over 1,600 votes and a average of 3.0/5 from more than 3,000 ratings, often appreciated as a quirky snapshot of early-1990s Italian provincial life and Bellucci's raw debut appeal.
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