Dear Vittorio Gassman, I am a huge fan of yours. I admired your wiry and menacing demeanor in Bitter Rice and some of your more comedic roles like in Il Sorpaso, The Great War and Big Deal in Madonna Street. Your performance in Scent of a Woman was very respectable. Though the beard sported by you took away some of the mischievousness of your face. The dubbing was also awful. The politically incorrect views of Captain Fausto were quite entertaining like comparing some Italian cities to Turkey. Fausto insulting the square passenger with the jasmine perfume on was also quite hilarious. "A man is either born as a poet or a porter" - very wise words indeed, Captain Fausto. His relentless picking on the uptight and the unsuspecting were very amusing. Fausto's attitudes are not too different from some of the characters in other Dino Risi movies. I'm a real bastard ..... A unique and immense bastard ..... I am an eleven of spades - these are some of Fausto's utterances about himself. Agostina Belli makes a rather late appearance in the film. She has a very beautiful face comparable to the likes of Lee Remick. But the film becomes quite tedious after she makes an entry because Fausto turns into a real grouch. The background score was quite memorable though I might not buy it or anything. The same is the case with the movie. There are many good bits. But I might not watch it again. Best Regards, Pimpin. (6/10)

Discrimination against handicapped people is a reprehensible practice which must end. It is caused partly due to the negative attitudes which societies propagate towards people with disabilities. Blind people are the worst hit as more than anybody's pity, they are in dire need of compassion. Italian director Dino Risi's acclaimed film "Profumo Di Donna" deals with a blind person who has never been humiliated in his life despite his infirmity. Although no blind person deserves anybody's pity, compassion is what every visually challenged person is seeking. It comes to Fausto in the form of a journey with a young man called Ciccio. This journey is important for both as it changes their perceptions about life and its importance. Living the life to the fullest seems to be the mantra of an ordinary Italian. In this Dino Risi film, this sentiment is vividly echoed in the portrayal of misanthrope Fausto by veteran Italian actor Vittorio Gassman. Watching him act as a blind man with absolute nonchalance, audiences are prepared to believe that even a strong willed blind man from army can crack up in the end.

I have seen the remake with Pacino a few times, and I do like it. Even though it is almost too sentimental, I like it. I especially like the tango scene. There is one ludicrous scene where a blind Pacino is driving a Ferrari in Manhattan at high speeds - PLEASE. I'm willing to suspend disbelief for enjoyment of a movie, but this was too much to ask. There would have been an accident! In spite of this and other flaws, it is a moving film.OK, I just saw - finally - the original Italian version with Vittorio Gassman. It is better, way better. It makes the statement about loneliness, self pity, the handicap of blindness, in a simpler, purer way. It is just as touching, but less heavy-handed. Gassman is a brilliant actor, and frankly, better looking and sexier than Pacino in my humble opinion. (Also a lot taller!) But the main difference in the films: this one is FUNNY. Humor is used to make the point about the tragedy of the Captain. He is impossible in a way that is funny--outrageous-- and you can't help but laugh. The version with Pacino has very little humor. See this one, read the subtitles, and enjoy a masterpiece.

"Profumo di donna" is a great movie, it makes you laugh and cry, and touches your heart very deeply, and it makes you think. It was made in 1974 by Dino Risi, a great Italian director. It is probably one of his best movies. All the actors are excellent and very talented. Everything is good in the movie : beautiful music, great screenplay, cinematography, it was shot on location on nice Italian cities, etc... Plot summary : Vittorio Gassman (Fausto) plays a man who was a top military officer before an accident left him blind. The movie tells the story of the trip he does from Turino to Napoli via Genova and Rome, with a young boy (Alessandro Momo) who helps him on the trip (helping Fausto is a job the boy has to do as part of his military service). In the movie, we also see what happens when they arrive in Napoli, and what was the goal of the trip, and we see the beautiful girl (Agostina Belli) who loves Fausto. "Profumo di donna" won numerous awards in several countries and was nominated at the Academy Awards for "Best Foreign Picture". If you don't know this movie, you definitely should rent it or even buy it on DVD.