Virgin Territory DVD Review

Based on Giovanni Boccaccio’s classic novel, “The Decameron,” Virgin Territory is adapted and directed by David Leland to become some sort of hip teen version of the 14th century. The attempt to mix rock music with a period film was last attempted with A Knight’s Tale, which shares some similarities to Virgin Territory, although Hayden Christensen is no Heath Ledger. There is also a much edgier feel to the filming of Virgin Territory, with ample flesh and teen sex comedy situations, and the guitar rocking soundtrack is wisely toned down. All of this headway is lost, however, by the incessant voiceover by a supporting character who over-explains every detail with modern lingo, as if a translation is needed to make the film enjoyable for a young crowd.

Along with an absurdly dumb bit of voiceover dialogue, the cast also seems specifically directed at a younger audience, often less concerned with acting abilities and more with how cute the actor is. Hayden Christensen has proven several times that he is only as good as the director directing him, but the Star Wars movies put him on the teen-beat popularity list, as The O.C. did for co-star Mischa Barton. Barton has been working hard to build a film career since she was killed from television, but trading upon looks can only last. Barton is so painfully bad regardless of the director that Christensen ends up looking great in comparison. The real tragedy of Virgin Territory is Tim Roth, a respected and talented actor who has made several period films playing a villainous character similar to the one he plays here, but he deserves more.

Once again Barton is playing a whiney rich girl, Pampinea, orphaned during the “Black Plague” in Florence. To make matters worse, her life is complicated further by the arrival of three suitors wanting her virginity. Christensen is a charming thief, Lorenzo di Lamberti, passionately attempting to woo Pampinea with flowers despite her commitment to marry a Russian count, Dzerzhinsky (Mathew Rhys). She also finds herself blackmailed into marriage by deceptive nobleman, Gerbino de la Ratta (Roth), who is also determined to kill Lorenzo after a disagreement. Lorenzo escapes by hiding in a convent, pretending to be deaf and dumb in order to get a job as a gardener amongst the virgins. Pampinea chooses the same convent to hide from Gerbino, with a predictable outcome. The more that Pampinea hears about Lorenzo’s sexual exploits in the convent, the more she becomes jealous and thinks less of her Russian fiancé.

The DVD is being released under Anchor Bay’s new label, Unzipped, and gives this as its reason for including censored scenes from the film, including more sexuality and nudity. The special features also include a few featurettes.