In “Seduced and Abandoned,” or “Sedotta e abbandonata,” Agnese (Stefania Sandrelli) is a 16-year-old Sicilian girl who is seduced by Peppino (Aldo Puglisi), her older sister Matilde’s (Paola Biggio) fiance. In this humorous and dark, post-war Italian film (1964), Vincenzo Ascalone (Saro Urzi), Agnese’s father, puts family honor above all. I’ve seen “Sedotta e abbandonata” twice now–the first time, I was horrified; the second time, I was intrigued and charmed by this caricature of antiquated customs and family dynamics.
