CHE? - "What?" (1972)

 

It is a genuine WTF Wednesday in The Dungeon, and what could be more WTF than a movie called "What?"

From what I saw, not much!

 

"What?" is a 1972 film by Roman Polanski. The original title was "Che?" but if you look that up, you will mostly find information about Che Guevara. Not Polanski's most popular film for good reason, it is said on IMDB, that the film grossed a whole $64.00 it's first week.

 

Although the top name on all of the posters is Roman Polanski, the real star of the film is Sydne (Some Girls Do) Rome as a young lady named Nancy.

 

Nancy was hitch hiking her way up the Amalfi Coast, when three idiotic goons attempt to rape her. She ends up at this spectacular villa, and since she lost her baggage, she is never actually fully dressed for the rest of the movie.

 

The villa is full of assorted weirdos like Marcello Mastroianni as a pimp with skin problems named Alex.

 

After about ten or fifteen minutes running around topless, Nancy finally latches onto a pajama top that belonged to the owner of the villa. She wears it pretty much the rest of the movie.

 

Nancy is keeping a diary of all the strange events that befall her.

 

The only thing that comes to my mind is this is Roman Polanski channeling his inner Jesus Franco, and that makes at least as much sense as the movie itself.

 

Except for Nancy, the movie is filled with all sorts of unsavory and unlikable characters who mostly do nothing but act weird.

 

The locations are all very stunning and attractive!

 

I guess he was having a good time, an uncredited Roman Polanski plays an unpleasant character named Mosquito.

 

Not even Nancy knows why Mosquito is wearing the torn, but repaired shirt she had on when she arrived, and why is it reversed?

 

Sydne Rome is a beautiful gal no doubt, but in almost two hours I think they could have come up with some better stuff happening around her than this!

 

The closing scene is a regular "Who's on First?" routine, with Sydne and Marcello doing a back and forth of "What?" What movie? "What?" until she goes off into the distance, completely nude of course.

To make it even more mixed up, the German title is "Was?"

Was What?