Diary of Forbidden Dreams (1973)

Synopsis: In Roman Polanski's absurd comedy, Nancy, a young American woman (Sydne Rome), is traveling by herself in Italy. After inadvertently hitching a ride with three would-be rapists, she flees and arrives at the home of aging millionaire... In Roman Polanski's absurd comedy, Nancy, a young American woman (Sydne Rome), is traveling by herself in Italy. After inadvertently hitching a ride with three would-be rapists, she flees and arrives at the home of aging millionaire Joseph Noblart (Hugh Griffith), who lives in a huge mansion by the sea full of eccentric and decidedly lascivious houseguests. Here she is invited to a fish fry by two British Ping-Pong enthusiasts, her leg is painted blue by an overzealous workman, and her clothes are stolen by a strange little man with a harpoon (Polanski himself). Ever curious and astonishingly open-minded, Nancy records each incident in a diary she carries with her at all times and is in constant danger of losing to one of the mansion's nosy inhabitants. The high point of her visit is her encounter with the decadent Alex (Marcello Mastroianni), a onetime pimp whose favorite pastimes include dressing up as a tiger and having attractive women tame him with a whip. Offbeat, bawdy, and Fellini-esque, DIARY OF FORBIDDEN DREAMS is a relatively lighthearted film, especially considering it constitutes the follow-up to Polanski's violent adaptation of MACBETH and would be succeeded by the dark neo-noir drama CHINATOWN. [More]

Starring: Sydne Rome, Hugh Griffith, Marcello Mastroianni, Roman Polanski

Starring: Sydne Rome, Hugh Griffith, Marcello Mastroianni, Roman Polanski

Director: Roman Polanski

Director: Roman Polanski

[See More Credits]