Portrait of a Nude Woman (1981) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language

1981 · 112 mins · Italian

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Directed by

Alberto Lattuada

Starring

Georges Wilson, Eleonora Giorgi, Nino Manfredi, Nicoletta Boris, Toni Barpi, Jean-Pierre Cassel

Sandro, a Roman in Venice during Carnival, faces a midlife crisis and his sixteen‑year marriage is strained by constant arguing. After separating from his wife Laura, an antiquarian bookseller, he spots a nude photograph that uncannily resembles her. He tracks down the model, Riri, a flamboyantly dressed prostitute who looks just like Laura. The film explores whether they are two distinct women or one, and what reality means amid the carnival’s masquerade.