The Nurse – Shameless Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1975
Director: Nello Rossati
Writers: Claudia Florio, Roberto Gianviti, Nello Rossati, Paolo Vidali
Cast: Ursula Andress, Duilio Del Prete, Mario Pisu, Luciana Paluzzi, Jack Palance

Release Date: February 26th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 105 Minutes 27 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £19.99 (UK)

"Screen legend Jack Palance (City Slickers) plays an American tycoon aiming to buy a vineyard in the beautiful Italian Veneto. But the hitch is that the aging owner won’t sign, despite his madcap family’s eagerness to sell and get rich.

The old man, recovering from a bonk-induced heart attack, is a randy lecher. So, the family’s outrageous stratagem is to hire Nurse Andress, not to cure the old boy, but for her to… ahem… undress and, hopefully, induce another – this time fatal – cardiac arrest." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Complete and Uncut, restored from 2K scan."

The Nurse comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 37.7 GB

Feature: 29.4 GB

Though the bulk of this transfer looks excellent, there are a few very minor source imperfections that remain. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look great, and image clarity and black levels are solid. Also, compression is very good, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 4.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Both audio tracks are in great shape; dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. Range-wise, the differences between these two audio tracks are minimal. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian-language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an archival interview with director Nello Rossati and set & costume designer Toni Rossati titled Calling the Nurse (24 minutes 1 second, LPCM stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), reversible cover art, and a slipcover (limited to the first pressing).

Other extras include trailers for Slave of the Cannibal God, Viva, and The Frightened Woman.

Summary:

Directed by Nello Rossati, whose other notable films are Django Strikes Again and Top Line.

When a wealthy widower with an insatiable sexual drive nearly dies from a heart attack, his greedy family members quickly swoop in, hoping to collect his wealth. Unfortunately, for them, his will to live is too strong, so they hire a sexy nurse to get his blood flowing in the hope that it will bring about his demise.

The Nurse is part of a collection of Italian films from the 1970s known as Commedia sexy all'italiana. These films are a subgenre of Commedia all'italiana that upped the ante when it came to female nudity and onscreen softcore erotica in a comedy setting.

The Nurse brings together former James Bond girls Ursula Andress (Dr. No) and Luciana Paluzzi (Thunderball). Ursula Andress portrays Anna, the title character, and Luciana Paluzzi in a minor but extremely effective performance as Jole Scarpa, one of the dying man’s relatives. And though Ursula Andress’ character does not appear until the end of the first act, ultimately the narrative is built up around her character. Also, her performance should be based solely on her physical presence, since it is her more than ample assets that are often on display throughout.

The Nurse is filled with colorful characters, such as the alcoholic butler, the housekeeper who is the object of everyone's amorous advances, and a character whose arousal issues can only be resolved by the sounds of war. When it comes to the performances, the cast is all very good, especially Jack Palance (Shane), who makes an all-too-brief appearance as the sleazy businessman Mr. Kitch. Also, Luciana Paluzzi makes full use of her limited screen time as she plays a sexually repressed woman who is on the verge of a nervous breakdown if she has to wait much longer to satisfy her sex drive.

Besides being blessed with a great cast, whose comedic timing is impeccable, The Nurse has many comedic moments that are overflowing with sexual innuendos. One of the main jokes revolves around the dying uncle character, who only says the word pussy over and over. Though this type of humor has its limit, it is perfectly executed in The Nurse. 

From a production standpoint, The Nurse is a film that maximizes its resources. The narrative pacing does a great job maintaining momentum, and the finale provides one final joke that brings everything that preceded to a head. Outside of a few moments, Nello Rossati's direction is often low-key, as he lets the material and performances speak for themselves. Ultimately, The Nurse is a solid example of Commedia sexy all'italiana.

The Nurse gets a first-rate release from Shameless Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and an insightful interview, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer