“THECharacter is an attribute of beauty and strengthens a woman when youth fades.” Al Turin Film Festival, Jacqueline Bisset – 81 years old – was awarded the Star of the Mole. The British actress, famous in Italy for The Sunday Woman Of Luigi Comencinirecalled for the occasion the most intense moments of his career and his life, touching gender themes, personal memories and reflections on contemporary society. At the press conference Bisset starts from beauty: «It is indecent to talk about things given by God». The actress willingly avoids any discussion of her charm: for her, talking about physical appearance is “boring” and even “indecent” because it concerns something that “is not conquered, but is received”.
The MeToo? «A complex topic. Caution is needed on both sides.”
On the movement MeToo the actress expresses a position destined to cause discussion. According to Bisset, some contemporary dynamics linked to social media and the display of bodies fuel ambiguity and can provoke men: «I can’t stand violence, it’s intolerable. But I see a lot of women obsessed with provoking. If you don’t want a man to react, you don’t have to tease him all the time.”.
«When the dog pees on the carpet you don’t throw the dog away»
The actress delves into the relationship between provocation, male desire and female responsibility: «If you don’t want a man to have an erection, you shouldn’t provoke him. It is a primary act, given by God, a sign of sexual potential. If you want to be safe, you don’t have to provoke him all the time, unless you want to. There are ambiguities, injustices. I say it slowly, because otherwise the women of the world will kill me, but when the dog pees on the carpet you don’t throw the dog away: you teach him where to do it. I don’t think men are dogs, but I think many are. I really think so. It’s not their fault: it’s the way God made them.”
The responsibility of women
Bisset continues with a reflection that intertwines personal experience and vision of women in the world: «Women need to take some responsibility. I survived Hollywood without being raped or having any serious situations. Some might have been, but I think behavior influences the outcome. I hate rape, of adults and children, I am deeply indignant. Sometimes life is bad, but that’s how it is». He also observes social media with concern: «I see desperate girls looking for attention. It is a disease of narcissism». For her, being an actor means «observing others, not oneself». Digital hyper-exposure is, more than freedom, a sign of fragility.
Italy, Comencini and Mastroianni: «On the set I was an alien»
Speaking of The Sunday WomanBisset recalls the sense of strangeness she felt playing a very rich woman distant from her world: «I couldn’t feel my body in those clothes. I wasn’t interested in the character.”. It was Luigi Comencini, thanks to his «ability to play like a kid», who made her connect with the film. And he confesses: «Mastroianni intimidated me a lot».
The relationship with Polanski: «He tested me, but he opened a door for me»
The professional bond between Jacqueline Bisset And Roman Polanski was born during a dinner that she remembers as «a moment of silence, shyness and observation». Her reserve struck the director, who told her: «You are an introvert, and for this reason you could become a good actress». From that meeting the audition for was born Cul-de-sac. She was given a small part, but that experience was anything but marginal.
The invitation to Cielo Drive
Jacqueline Bisset recalls with a shudder one of the most disturbing episodes of her life. A few days earlier of the Cielo Drive massacrehad been a guest in the villa of Sharon Tatealong with the same people who would later be murdered. «It was a quiet evening, an ordinary Friday»tells. «They invited me to come back the following week. I replied: “Maybe yes, maybe no”».
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