It was the late seventies. Rome was a chaotic, beautiful mess of high art and low-budget exploitation. Directors were pushing every conceivable boundary, testing the patience of censors and the stomachs of audiences. In 1978, a film titled Piccole labbra—known to English-speaking audiences as the Little Lips movie 1978—slipped into theaters. It wasn't a blockbuster. It wasn't a critical darling. Instead, it became a whispered-about footnote in the "Lolita" subgenre of European cinema, a movie so deeply uncomfortable that even today, film historians struggle with how to categorize it.
The film stars Pierre Clémenti, a man who built his career on being the "beautiful rebel" of the French New Wave. He worked with legends like Buñuel and Pasolini. But here, he’s playing Paul, a Great War veteran who returns home with a shattered leg and a broken spirit. He’s suicidal. He’s lost. Then he meets Eva, played by Katya Berger. The problem? Eva is a child.
What the Little Lips Movie 1978 Actually Tries to Say
Most people see the poster and immediately write it off as pure sleaze. I get it. The imagery is provocative by design. However, if you actually sit through the 80-minute runtime, you realize director Mimmo Cattarinich was trying to make something much more psychological, albeit still highly problematic.
It’s a story about trauma. Paul is basically a shell of a human being after the war. He can’t connect with adults. He finds the world of grown-ups repulsive and hypocritical. When he meets Eva, he sees a purity that he thinks can save him. It's a classic "transgression as salvation" trope that was popular in 70s Italian dramas. Katya Berger, who was actually quite young during filming, delivers a performance that is eerie because it feels so natural. She isn't "acting" like a femme fatale; she’s just a kid who doesn't understand the weight of the obsession she’s ignited in this grown man.
The cinematography is surprisingly lush. It has that hazy, golden-hour glow that defined European arthouse films of that era. It looks like a painting, which makes the subject matter feel even more jarring. You’re looking at something visually stunning while simultaneously feeling a knot in your stomach because of the power dynamic on screen.
The Controversy and the Casting of Katya Berger
We have to talk about Katya Berger. She’s the daughter of William Berger and the sister of Kasimir Berger. In the late 70s, the Berger family was deeply embedded in the European film scene. This movie wasn't some underground snuff project; it was a legitimate production with a recognized cast.
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But why did it cause such a stir?
Well, look at the timeline. Pretty Baby came out the same year. That film starred a young Brooke Shields and dealt with similar themes of precocious sexuality in a historical setting. While Louis Malle’s Pretty Baby was treated as a prestige drama, the Little Lips movie 1978 was relegated to the "trashy" bins of video stores.
Honestly, the difference isn't just in the budget. It’s in the intent. Cattarinich, who was primarily a still photographer for giants like Fellini, focused on the look of the obsession. The camera lingers. It watches. It makes the viewer an accomplice to Paul’s gaze. That’s why it feels "dirtier" than other films of its ilk. It doesn't offer the moral safety net that Hollywood usually provides.
The Missing Pieces of the Narrative
There is a recurring myth that this movie was banned worldwide. That’s not quite true. It was heavily censored in the UK and had a very limited release in the United States, but it circulated quite freely in Europe for a time.
- The "lost" footage: Rumors persist about a longer cut of the film that contains more explicit scenes. Most archivists agree this is a myth born from the film's reputation.
- The score: Stelvio Cipriani composed the music. Cipriani is a legend. His work here is melancholic and haunting, often used to bridge the gap between Paul’s depression and his obsession.
- The ending: Without spoiling too much, the film doesn't offer a happy resolution. It’s a tragedy. It’s a loop of self-destruction that ends exactly where you’d expect a story about a broken man to end.
The Legacy of Mimmo Cattarinich
Mimmo Cattarinich wasn't a prolific director. He only directed a handful of films. His real legacy was as a unit photographer. He captured the iconic behind-the-scenes moments of Satyricon and The Canterbury Tales.
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Because he was a photographer first, Piccole labbra feels like a series of still images. There’s very little "action." It’s all about the atmosphere. The Austrian landscapes where they filmed are breathtaking. You have these wide, sweeping shots of the mountains juxtaposed against the claustrophobic interiors of Paul's room.
It’s this contrast that keeps the movie in the conversation. If it were just a cheap exploitation flick, we wouldn't be talking about it nearly fifty years later. It persists because it occupies a gray area between high-brow art and low-brow provocation.
Why We Still Analyze This Film Today
You might wonder why anyone bothers with a movie like this in 2026.
It’s about the evolution of boundaries. When we look at the Little Lips movie 1978, we’re looking at a time capsule of what was permissible in the name of "art." The 70s were the Wild West of cinema. Directors were obsessed with Freud, with the subconscious, and with breaking taboos.
Modern viewers usually find the film difficult to watch, not because of graphic violence, but because of the psychological implications. It forces you to confront the idea of the "unreliable narrator." Paul thinks he’s in a romance. The audience knows he’s in a breakdown.
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The film also serves as a reminder of the career of Pierre Clémenti. Clémenti was a fascinating figure who spent time in prison on drug charges and became a symbol of the counterculture. His presence in Little Lips adds a layer of authenticity to the character of Paul. He looks tired. He looks like a man who has seen too much of the world and wants to retreat into a fantasy.
How to Approach Watching It Now
If you’re a film historian or a fan of cult cinema, finding a high-quality version of this movie is actually pretty tough. Most copies floating around are grainy VHS rips that don't do justice to the cinematography.
- Look for the remastered editions: Some European boutique labels have put out Blu-ray transfers that finally show off Cattarinich's lighting.
- Understand the context: Watch it alongside other films from 1978. Look at what was happening in Italy during the "Years of Lead." The escapism and the darkness of the film make more sense when you realize the country was in political turmoil.
- Check the soundtrack: Even if you can’t stomach the movie, Cipriani’s score is worth a listen. It’s a masterpiece of Italian lounge-melancholy.
This isn't a movie you "enjoy" in the traditional sense. It's a movie you study. It’s a piece of evidence. It shows us where the line was drawn in 1978 and how much that line has shifted. It’s uncomfortable, it’s beautifully shot, and it’s undeniably part of the fabric of controversial European cinema.
Actionable Steps for Cinema Researchers
If you are researching the Little Lips movie 1978 for academic or historical purposes, do not rely on modern internet synopses, which often conflate the plot with other films like Malizia or Le feticiste.
First, locate the original Italian reviews from 1978. These provide the most accurate reflection of how the film was received before it gained its "cult" status. Second, compare the cinematography of Cattarinich with his still photography work for Pier Paolo Pasolini; you will see a direct correlation in how he frames the human body as an architectural object. Finally, if you are looking for physical copies, prioritize the Italian "Medusa" or "Cecchi Gori" prints, as these typically maintain the original color grading that defines the film's dreamlike quality.
Avoid the heavily edited North American versions from the 1980s, which cut significant portions of the psychological dialogue to focus on the more sensationalist elements, effectively ruining the pacing and the director's intent.