''Il saprofita'' (internationally released as ''The Profiteer'') is a 1974

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Sergio Nasca Sergio Nasca (1 August 1937 – 14 August 1989) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. Life and career Born in Rome, Nasca started his career in 1965 as assistant director of Enzo Battaglia in ''Idoli controluce'', then he worked as a p ...

. It marked the directorial debut of Nasca and raised some controversies due to its polemic plot and its violence.

Cast

Al Cliver Pierluigi Conti (born 16 July 1951) is a retired Italian actor, known by the stage name Al Cliver. He is best known for starring in horror and exploitation films, especially ones by directors Lucio Fulci, Jesús Franco, and Joe D'Amato. Earl ...

: Ercole *

Valeria Moriconi Valeria Moriconi (née Abbruzzetti; November 15, 1931 – June 15, 2005) was an Italian actress who appeared both in movies and on stage. Biography Valeria was born in Iesi, in Marche, central Italy. Her earliest work was as a stage actress. Sh ...

: The Baroness Clotilda * Janet Agren : Teresa * Giancarlo Marinangeli: Parsifal * Cinzia Bruno: Brunilde *

Leopoldo Trieste Leopoldo Trieste (3 May 1917 – 25 January 2003) was an Italian actor, film director and script writer. Trieste was born in Reggio Calabria. He worked with directors such as Pietro Germi, Francis Ford Coppola, Giuseppe Tornatore, Mario Bava, T ...

: Don Vito *

Rina Franchetti Rina Franchetti (23 December 1907 – 18 August 2010) was an Italian film actress. She appeared in 50 films between 1932 and 1990. Selected filmography * '' Two Happy Hearts'' (1932) * '' Everybody's Secretary'' (1933) * ''The Peddler and ...

: Bigot *

Nerina Montagnani Nerina Montagnani (20 April 1897 – 4 November 1993) was an Italian actress. Life and career Born in Maranello, Modena, Montagnani graduated as a teacher. Starting in 1918 she worked as a governess and a gardener in many noble houses in Fran ...

: The servant of the Holy Man *

Clara Colosimo Clara Colosimo (23 May 1922 – 15 June 1994) was an Italian film actress. She appeared in 65 films between 1968 and 1991. Biography Clara Colosimo was born in Conegliano in 1922. She studied opera as a mezzo-soprano in Trieste, where she gre ...

: Lady at the wake *

Giancarlo Badessi Giancarlo Badessi (21 September 1928 – 6 December 2011) was an Italian actor. Life and career Born in Lecco, at the age of almost 40 Badessi gave up his daily job as an accountant to embrace the theatre, making his debut in a stage play direct ...

: Superior of the Seminary * Carlo Monni : General Augusto Bezzi

Plot

In a small town in

Apulia Apulia ( ), also known by its Italian language, Italian name Puglia (), is a Regions of Italy, region of Italy, located in the Southern Italy, southern peninsular section of the country, bordering the Adriatic Sea to the east, the Strait of Ot ...

, the seminarian Ercole, who failed to become a priest due to an injury that caused him to lose his speech, is hired as a driver and male nurse by a rich and apparently pious family of landowners, and soon becomes the lover of the beautiful Baroness Clotilde.

References

External links

*
''The Profiteer''
at

Variety Distribution Variety Distribution is an Italian-based film distribution company. It distributes Italian films worldwide, produced from the 1930s onward. History Variety Distribution (formerly Variety Film and Variety Communications) has been in the film ...

1974 films Italian drama films 1970s Italian films {{1970s-Italy-film-stub