This excellent, existential drama, a deep, psychological and erotic, mysterious study on progressively darkly, if romantic, always highly intellectual, but, also always penetrating and affecting moments, "La prima notte di quiete"(It literally translates from the original beautiful Italian title, that comes from a poem, as: "The very first night of peace")known also as "Indian Summer", when released in 1978, in the States, and, as "The Professor" or "The Professeur", in its DVD French release, was directed back in the now far 1972, by one of the greatest (and,let me say it, shamefully most forgotten!)Italian directors ever, the great Valerio Zurlini ("Estate Violenta" aka:"Violent Summer",from 1959, and,"The Desert of the Tartars", from 1976, are other greatly exceptional films he'd made, all available in DVD).It is one of the most unforgettable and beautiful unknown movies, so gorgeous and poignant, i'd always cite it, among my favorite films, especially if seen in the beautifully remastered copy, i had even have the pleasure to see in the theaters, when vacationing in Italy, in 2002! It also featured one of the best (personally my favorite), most accomplished ever performance, by its French super star, and, clever Executive Producer, Alain Delon, at his very prime, in this Classic, enigmatic, burning character, he just plays right, and, casually wearing a classy, tailored, beige trench heavy coat! Delon was another main element that "made"(and in more sense than one, obviously!)this movie, a very much unforgettable drama, capable to turn almost into a "Film Noir", with ecstatic writing and story telling, since the twist's and surprises, hiding behind the apparent, wintry, quiet middle class tranquility of a highly famous Mediterranean's Sea resort, like Rimini (where famous director Fellini was born, and, also directed famed "I Vitelloni", with a bit of the same atmospheres),and, located geographically, just on the East coastline of Italy, probably not even 300 miles south of Venice, facing the well known Summer's overly populated Adriatic Riviera. Rimini, a strange City indeed, and, in a way, such a perfect and telling metaphor for a two faced scenario, like this one, both in the outside and in the inside (the interiors of the main characters who play like victims of their own destiny)i mean, just an almost deserted, sleepy city, that for its own 'tragic' nature, it is in fact so full of life, night clubs, swimming pools, and, funky "Luna park's" look a-like establishments, during the Summer, a place so well known to bring appointing adventures, new love's for the lonely hearts, or the pleasure seekers, and, most of all, a chance at trying something sinful or forbidden, just to forget usual lives, break the monotony of life itself, or even to escape your own life and destiny, by gambling,or over indulging in fabulous shopping, receiving great make overs, and, of course, by pleasuring with any sort of indulging decadence, such as lots of drugs, and, sex, a whole lot of sex, of any kind, made so explicitly available to even the most low key of the tourist's. But, only during Summer, again, while, almost "having" to turn into a very dreary, melancholic little town, in its foggy, steel blue, long, way too long Winter's, where all more wealthy locals seem to just enjoy their privacy, after the Summer's invasions, and, all the money and wealth that the same Summer has brought to them! In fact, when the season is over, and the cold weather and the fog hit inexorably the City, everything sadly seems to "have" to go back suddenly into an apparently ghostly calm, and, definitely boring atmosphere! But, we find out that this is just not true for everyone. There's lots of broken hearts, lots of people who made money by stealing or violating the excessive trust or "hearts" of the tourists,then, we learn there's also those who are some sort of local celebrities during the season, those in charge of making sure all tourists get "what they want", and, that, now, are well determined not to be forgotten for the rest of the year, but, feel instead now entitled to get what they want, for a change, almost as a form of malignant revenge against a certain sorrow always felt, while, there are also those, of course, surviving of unlawful entries, and, expedients, who are not certainly giving up to their habits and vices just upon a change of season, anymore, while, still wanting to lead freely the same perpetuity of the Summer rituals, full of dreams and often corrupted by the same substitutions they make sure all tourists in need, may find easily at hand, all of those materialistic sensations of a certain consumerist society that lives over and majorly of its own complicated, isolating sick pleasures and addictions. All of this "not easy to digest, nor easy to comprehend or understand, and, finally, to 'palpate' material", is seen, without any judgment, through the kind, if sad eyes of a seemingly "new" resident, a rather handsome, fascinatingly lonesome professor of literature and ancient languages, such as Latin or ancient Greek, and, a poet and a misfit, that with his sadness, but, also his sense of justice ,and, unexpected higher morals, will turn "that apparent formal quiet" into one of the most desolating and tragically ill and revealing, Winter's, the city had certainly has seen, in a long while. And never, for a sense of justice, or conformism, and, not certainly to redeem anyone's soul, either, but all of the above, just in the name of love! That is the mission, the "professor" will almost have to take on, or, better is almost made to take upon, and, that is, to unveil, by the will of a superior force, a destiny that wants the local resort's most dark, and, absurd secrets and crimes, unhappiness and frustration, revealed, and, made to look, just as they are, simply put, a bunch of filthy abusive deeds, and, a lot of cruel despair, selfishness and bitterly lost sense of purity, that brings ultimately everyone to face their own destiny, like if the leads of this movie had lived enough of their path already, to keep on believing and endorsing a lie, maybe, just in order not to break "that certain evil pattern" that has plagued their apparently normal lives,and, brought some to undeserved presents, like, for example, someone as deep and profound as, "the professor", to have become just some lonely man, with the reputation, of a misfit and a looser,over all, of someone who has failed "those opportunities" (and, by the way, no doubt, we will find out, slowly but surely, a few incredible surprises, regarding "such opportunities", and, their beneficiaries or down right users, being presented with some really unexpected turns, that would prove actually, at the end, almost too much fearfully believable, instead, on their almost inexplicable dramatic unfolding,and, showing us, finally, the true colors, the true identities, of all the movie's main characters, all flawed players of a corrupted,damned, ultimately unforgiving, game!) that had been granted to him, while, more realistically, having missed a bunch of those "opportunities", mostly because he cannot help, but being honest to himself, whatever that may mean to his life and potentials, he cannot give a damn about not playing that notorious game of opportunities, because he may not want to, or need to, or most likely, not wanting to bring himself down to, almost like a nobleman inexplicably ended up in the gutter of humanity, who's now dealing (and just for the very first time!) with a group of such "good friends", you would probably only meet in such a city, whose Winter, in fact stands almost for death, while, the sunny Summer seems to 'color' all the evil of "way more acceptable" tones, knowing well that some lies can pay and pay big.But, we never see the sun, in this masterfully photographed, written, scored, edited, and, most of all, personally directed, by famous(and notoriously pessimistic and plagued by several vices himself) director, who 'feels' almost in anguish himself, Valerio Zurlini, a truly forgotten genius.This movie, beside telling a fantastic, tragic, but always dreamy love story, also creates some of the deepest, most compellingly nuanced, character's development, I personally even ever admired in a film, and, stands out all together, for its incredibly beautifully wintry, coldly lit images, becoming a true Classic film, rich of an unique and refined visual quality, and, showcasing truly superior,always more and more haunting atmospheres.Also starring were Italian star, Giancarlo Giannini, as the professor's best friend, the only uncorrupted one of the group of "old friends", and, also greatly well known, Italian supporting actors, such as, Adalberto Maria Merli (exceptionally good, and, handsome, in the not easy role of the heartless playboy, key to this story of love and human decadence), the always reliable, Renato Salvatori, Fabrizio Moroni, and, the extremely respected, Salvo Randone (great also in Elio Petri's Classic movie "The Investigation",1970), with a great female contribution, as well, of course, brought by a very notable set of famous International actresses, beginning with, Lea Massari (truly heartbreaking,here, playing so convincingly the desperate, unpredictable Monica), Alida Valli, as the once beautiful mother of the female lead (do i need to mention all the movies she's made? Like,from Hitchcock's "The Paradine Case" to leading in Carol Reed's "The Third Man",1949, opposite Cotten and Orson Welles, and, in Visconti's masterpiece "Senso",1955, opposite Farley Granger, leading on through a career that spanned 6 decades, at least, also playing unforgettable roles, in Pasolini's "Oedipus Rex",1967, and, Bertolucci's "1900",1977, all of these cited above, among hundred's!), Nicoletta Rizzi (excellent, as the apparently friendly, if truly questionable, glacial platinum blonde, gay character, the steely Elvira), then gorgeous starlets Krista Nell,and, Patrizia Adiutori, whose presences have never been more so requested by a story depicting lurid atmospheres with appointing genius, and, ending with our "femme fatale", our extremely young lead female, a new gorgeous discovery, who was cast apparently, only after, Internationally well known French star Dominique Sanda of "The Conformist" and "The Garden of the Finzi-Contini's", finding herself pregnant, had to turn down the role, and,after winning a selection, at the time, among hundred's of International candidates: the lovely, but, rightly so dark beauty, Sonia Petrova, a then unknown extremely youthful Eastern European actress, who eventually did not move on to the type of career, one would have actually thought she could have achieved, after playing such a memorable role, and, in such an intense and incredibly shocking movie, which was, also a great commercial success in Europe, at its time!Probably the most successfully commercial film from director Zurlini, and, due of course, partially or not, it doesn't even matter here, to the abundance of sex, and sex innuendo's, or related material.Maybe, Petrova was never able to look this beautiful, and, at the same time, so troubling, ever again, I have heard! Who knows, but, certainly, here, again, who would care? Petrova might as well be a new Garbo, in this movie, as directed by a master director and personal author, such as Valerio Zurlini, she does indeed prove magic and completely able to sustain with full success, the enchanted yet tragic essence of this exceptional movie!Why has it been so forgotten, then? Don't ask me, obviously! A great, re-mastered DVD, or Blue Ray version, would be so much over due, by someone like Criterion, for example, who could make out of this masterpiece, a new huge, and, even scandalous and successful hit, at least, here in the Sates, where the movie is practically unknown, today, and, was always little known, even at the times of its 1978, limited release!