Exploits of a Young Don Juan is a 1986 French-Italian collaboration.
Exploits of a Young Don Juan is based on the french novella by Guillaume Apollinaire. The Franco-Italian collaborative film was directed by Gianfranco Mingozzi. A period drama-comedy set around WW1, the movie follows the coming-of-age journey of Roger (Fabrice Josso), an adolescent sent to live with his aunt and uncle in the French countryside. As he struggles with his raging hormones, Roger explores his awakened desires at every possible opportunity.
The central theme is Roger’s sexual appetite. He finds himself the only male of considerable age, surrounded by buxom women. Lonely women, whose men are off fighting in the war. The complexities of Roger’s situation are exasperated with his attraction to his Aunt. Set against the idyllic countryside, Roger’s inner turmoil is thusly juxtaposed.
The film “Exploits of a Young Don Juan” is alternatively titled “What every Frenchwoman Wants”. But the actress who graced the movie posters was none other than Italian pin-up favorite Serena Grandi. The Italian title translates into “the initiation”, which seems to be a multifaceted catch-phrase for Roger’s journey into adulthood, especially considering 3 of his lovers become pregnant. But whatever you call it, this movie encapsulates the coming of age fantasies of every hot-blooded, heterosexual male. (Not to be confused with modern-day woke propaganda, nor appreciated by it’s adherents).
Themes of desire, innocence, and the societal norms of the 20th century that shaped our understanding of sexuality are all touched upon in “Exploits of a Young Don Juan”. The film uses actors that are over 18, but it isn’t afraid to explore the realities of adolescent desires and virility. This raw exposure of human sexuality, is beautiful yet brings to mind the old adage, “All is fair in love and war”; thereby inviting reflection and discussion.
