The Nude Princess (La Principessa Nuda) is an almost unclassifiable genre flick that comes to us directly from Cesare Canevari the twisted mind that brought us Caligula Reincarnated as Hitler (a truly despicable film mind you). Although there's definitely no shortage of weirdness in The Nude Princess, the film has a hell of a lot more going for it than just pure exploitation for the sake of exploitation. The Nude Princess can be enjoyed and appreciated on many levels, the most interesting being that it does prove without a doubt that Cesare Canevari can direct a film and that he does have an eye for the camera. The Nude Princess is a fascinating film although I'm not quite sure why.

Before we begin, I think this discussion warrants a bit of an intro on star Ajita Wilson who plays the title character Miriam Zamoto (aka The Nude Princess). Rumor has it that Ajita Wilson was born a man and had a sex change in the mid seventies. Making a name for herself in European soft-core produced features (like The Nude Princess and Macumba Sexual) Ajita Wilson was able to develop a true cult following even beyond her death in 1987. There are many that will swear by the fact that she used to be a man, while others would be inclined to say that they aren't too sure. Either way, much like Laura Gemser, she had an oddly chiseled and commanding face which gave her a terrific screen presence. It's also worth noting that while The Nude Princess is a work of fiction (there's even a disclaimer at the start of the film) It has been said that The Nude Princess is a fictionalized account of a real political scandal straight from the headlines.

Ajita Wilson stars as an African diplomat Miriam Zamoto, on a trip to Milan with a political agenda and skeletons in her closet. Ajita used to be a nude model or even worse possibly a participant in pornography and as she tries to put her past behind her a nosy alcoholic journalist named Marco (Luigi Pistilli) is trying to blackmail her into bed. Marco's not the only interested party though, most men and women alike are throwing themselves at Miriam, but unfortunately she is unable to connect. This is partially because she's brainwashed into pledging allegiance to her president Kaboto. Through some scenes of sexual reawakening, Miriam is able to finally let loose and partake in some bizarre sexual encounters one of which includes another female political powerhouse named Gladys Foggett (played by Tina Aumont).

There's lots of weirdness to be found within The Nude Princess, but through it all the film is still able to retain a sense of normalcy with its sympathetic characters and wholly entertaining execution. The Nude Princess is the type of film you'll enjoy and find numbingly intoxicating, but you won't really know why. I can't explain it, but for some reason this film is thoroughly entertaining and extremely watchable from start to finish. It's fascinating to note that throughout the film, men are portrayed as sex crazed monsters and selfishly domineering. Women are the shut out innocents, not allowed to live their life to its fullest. It's not until The Nude Princess breaks away that she's able to feel again, and ironically enough, do something as simple as laugh or cry (which oddly enough she wasn't able to do prior).

The odd exploitation doesn't end with your typical elements of soft-core erotica. Sure there's some healthy doses of soft-core guy on girl and girl on girl action, some rape and general debauchery. However, some of the ultimate weirdness concerns the constant reappearance of a sexually charged midget, with his most outrageous screen moment taking place during a full-on orgy towards the end of the film. While bodies are writhing in ecstasy, this little guy is just bouncing around slapping asses like there is no tomorrow. It's quite odd to say the least. this is definitely a moment that needs to be seen to be believed, and is almost worth the price of admission on its own. Outrageous! Performances are all above average for a title like this, especially Ajita Wilson whose presence just demands attention each time she's onscreen.

Mondo Macabro brings The Naked Princess to DVD in style with a spectacular anamorphic widescreen transfer. Colors are extremely vivid and black levels are dead on. There are only minimal amounts of print damage present with a few light scratches and some specs. Grain is virtually non-existent, I am pleased to note that The Nude Princess looks quite stunning. Audio is presented in an equally impressive mono track with no evidence of distortion, hiss or background noise. Finally, let's not overlook the AM Gold style opening/closing theme song either. I can't get this tune out of my head!

Extras include an informative interview with Tina Aumont and extensive notes on the film itself as well as bios on stars Ajita Wilson, Luigi Pistilli and Tina Aumont. Mondo Macabro has done it again with an extremely impressive presentation of another fantastic cinematic oddity. The Nude Princess comes HIGHLY recommended.

The Nude Princess is a Region 0 PAL DVD. You will need a player that will conveert the PAL to NTSC if you live in the US.

For more info visit Mondo Macabro UK or Mondo Macabro USA.