Independent Films, Film Profiles

The 10th Victim
by Elio_Petri

The 10th Victim (Italian: La decima vittima) is an Italian cult science fiction film directed by Elio Petri in 1965. It is based on Robert Sheckley's 1953 short story "Seventh Victim". Sheckley later published a novelization of the film in 1966.The film begins with a man chasing a woman through the streets whilst shooting at her. He is stopped by a policeman to be questioned but the man shows his licence to kill and the policeman allows him to continue. The scenes transfer between the pursuit and a narrator explaining the rules and justification of the attempted murder.In the near future, big wars are avoided by giving individuals with violent tendencies a chance to kill in the Big Hunt. The Hunt is the most popular form of entertainment in the world and also attracts participants who are looking for fame and fortune. It includes ten rounds for each competitor, five as the hunter and five as the victim. The survivor of the ten rounds will become the ultimate champion.Caroline Meredith (Ursula Andress) is the huntress armed with a high caliber Bosch Shotgun looking for her tenth victim. Marcello Poletti (Marcello Mastroianni) is the victim, but is reluctant to kill Meredith as he is not sure whether she really is his hunter. Killing the wrong person would get him locked up in prison for 30 years. To maximize her financial gain, Meredith wants to get a perfect kill in front of the cameras as she has negotiated a major sponsor from the Ming Tea Company.