Lina Wertmüller was many things—subversive, provocative, fiercely revered, deliciously reviled. But most importantly, like her signature white-framed glasses, she was, and is, utterly unforgettable. As a filmmaker, she was an auteur with a distinct, idiosyncratic style that unabashedly embraced the ugliness and chaos of misogyny, eroticism, sexual violence, and political injustice.
The Italian director got her start in filmmaking as an assistant director on Federico Fellini’s iconic film 8 ½, but found her own voice and style when she met actors Giancarlo Giannini and Mariangela Melato. Both would become frequent Wertmüller collaborators, starring in several of her most prominent films.
In the 1970s, Wermüller became a favorite on the international art cinema circuit, with subversive films like The Seduction of Mimi, Swept Away, and Seven Beauties. The latter garnered her an Oscar nod for Best Director, immortalizing her as the very first female director to be nominated in the category.
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But who was the person behind the glasses? That Lina was a troublemaker from the start.
Born Arcangela Felice Assunta Wertmüller von Elgg Spanol von Braueich, one could almost predict the predilections that would come with such a breathtakingly regal name—equally long film titles, for one. Wertmüller in fact holds the Guinness world record for longest film title. There’s also something rebellious about being Italian and having such a staggeringly German name. This rebellious streak would eventually lead to being kicked out of 15 Catholic schools and an impressive body of work that looked sex, violence, and politics unflinchingly in the eye. 
“I didn’t want to go down in history as a socially conscious director,” she says in her documentary Behind the White Glasses, “I wanted to go down in history as a director who had fun.”
As part of our August Auteurs celebration, we’re spotlighting six of Wertmüller’s most significant films. Stream them now on Kino Film Collection.
Swept Away
Widely considered Wertmüller’s most controversial film, Swept Away is a story about love, lust, and class warfare. Set against the turquoise backdrop of the Mediterranean, the film follows Gennarino (Giancarlo Giannini), a disgruntled crew member on a wealthy couple’s yacht. When he and the wife (Mariangela Melato) get stranded on a deserted island, the power dynamics shift, leading to a volatile affair.
Seven Beauties
Set in 1930s Italy, Seven Beauties follows a series of unfortunate chapters in the life of a Sicilian small-time crook. Pasqualino (Giannini) lands in jail for killing a man who had disgraced his sister. He escapes imprisonment by pleading insanity and ends up in the psych ward. He escapes again by joining the Army, but ends up in a German prison camp. There he vows to do whatever it takes to survive, including seduction and betrayal.
The Seduction of Mimi
The Seduction of Mimi is a boisterous satire following a Sicilian man nicknamed Mimi (Giannini), whose penchant for seduction lands him in a web of affairs. After leaving his wife, Rosalia, in Sicily to find work in Turrin, Mimi falls in love with a Communist organizer (Melato). But when he learns that Rosalia is pregnant with another man’s baby, he confronts her only to become further entangled in sex, revenge, and corruption.
Love & Anarchy
A tragicomedy of epic proportions, Love & Anarchy follows an accidental anarchist whose involvement with two women gets in the way of his most important mission. When Tunin (Giannini) learns that his friend has been killed for attempting to assassinate Mussolini, he decides to finish the job. With the help of two sex workers, Salomé (Melato) and Tripolina, the three hatch a plot only to be thwarted by love. Giannini won the Best Actor prize at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival for his performance as Tunin.
Summer Night
In this raunchy comedy, wealthy aristocrat Fulvia (Melato) fights back against a terrorist syndicate targeting the upper class. With the help of Turi, a former CIA agent, she captures Beppe, the head of the syndicate. Soon the captor becomes sexually attracted to her hostage and they engage in a night of intense passion. But when the syndicate agrees to Fulvia’s ransom demands, Fulvia and Beppe’s business is far from over.
All Screwed Up
All Screwed Up follows a group of workers who move to Milan and end up living together. Among them are Gino and Carletto, two young men from the country, and a young woman named Adelina. Some fall in love, some resort to desperate measures, and all are overwhelmed by the financial strife of urban living.