The Witches

The Witches from 1967, also known as "Le Streghe" in Italian, features a seemingly infinite assortment of aesthetics and narratives brought together by five distinct directors, each unique in their approach. The movie unifies the unmatched acting prowess of Silvana Mangano, a noted Italian actress, supported by other accomplished performers like Annie Girardot and Francisco Rabal.

As an anthology film, The Witches comprises five short stories, each helmed by a different acclaimed director, which includes Italian masters like Pier Paolo Pasolini, Vittorio De Sica, and Franco Rossi, along with foreigners Luchino Visconti and Mauro Bolognini. Ingeniously assembled, the segments jointly communicate the splendid versatility of the film’s lead actress, Silvana Mangano, as she impeccably adapts to the distinctive milieu and context of each story.

The film opens with "The Witch Burned Alive" by Luchino Visconti. This segment presents a contemporary tale of fame and deglamorization of it. Mangano plays a film star, Gloria, who experiences a harsh reality of the glamour realm. She's objectified by adoring male fans and scrutinized by envious female companions. This vignette sets the tone for the quintet film, priming the viewer on the central theme – the label of 'witch' and its implications on women in society.

The second segment, "Civic Sense," directed by Mauro Bolognini, involves a surreal sequence of events that unfolds in an inexplicably deserted city street at night. Mangano plays a female driver whose car gets broken down but faces a peculiar struggle when met with another driver in the middle of the night—hinting at the supernatural in an everyday setting that questions the absurdity of societal systems and conventions.

Following up is Franco Rossi's “The Earth Seen from the Moon,” where Mangano glows by delivering a moving performance of a mute woman. She finds herself in an unusual family setup, accentuated by a riot of vibrant colors and outlandish costumes. Rossi introduces whimsical elements that bewitch the viewers in its heartfelt narrative of grief, love, and the pursuit of happiness.

After this comes "The Sicilian Belle" helmed by Italian neorealist filmmaker Vittorio De Sica, who is known for his evocative storytelling. Set in an old Sicilian village, Mangano embodies the youthful and attractive Nunzia, who discovers her husband's infidelity, adding another layer to the broad narrative discourse of the film.

Finally, the anthology rounds off with "A Night like Any Other," directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini. Here, Mangano portrays a middle-class Italian housewife, meeting her husband (played by Toto), in an experimental realm of shattered dreams and marital discontent.

On the whole, "The Witches" offers a captivating exploration of life, society, and the multiple shades of female existence, carefully threaded within the narrative arc of the supernatural and the everyday. Annie Girardot, known for being an engine of French cinema, and notable Spanish film legend Francisco Rabal, add more weight to the anthology, all under the frame of their distinctive directors' vision.

This film showcases the union of diverse creative visions built around the central theme, which all coalesce into an insightful and compelling viewing experience. It remains a class act and a necessary viewing for those interested in observing the illustrious footprint of European cinema.

The quality of the film lies in its variety—each segment sparking its enchantment and charm. Silvana Mangano chameleon-like ability helps bring every director's vision to helping this film attain its timeless status. "The Witches," by dipping the viewer's senses into five contrasting pools of narrative and vision, spins an intriguing carousel of satire, melancholy, love, infidelity, and society’s scrutiny—all woven into one cinematic tapestry by a star-studded cast and crew, making it a must-watch anthology film in the annals of European cinema.