Drawing inspiration from Giovanni Boccaccio's inventive writing, this film proves to be disappointingly uninspired. Louis Jourdan portrays the celebrated storyteller attempting to escape the pursuing forces of Duke Lorenzo’s army. He has also discovered where his beloved "Fiametta" (Joan Fontaine) is located, but when he reaches the villa where she and four other people—including Joan Collins as “Pampinea,” whose performance feels stiff—are in hiding, he's only allowed to stay if he tells them a story each night and refrains from any romantic advances. He consents, although it’s obvious that his intention is to use these stories to ignite her passion. The tales presented test the boundaries of her virtue, consistently featuring young women married to significantly older men (always played by Godfrey Tearle). Notably, the third narrative comes directly from a woman within the group and provides an intriguing contrast to the storyteller's more strategic portrayals. While the individual stories question conventional ideas about romance, a woman’s role in the household, and themes of love, honor, and faithfulness, the film itself doesn't quite measure up. Fontaine delivers a notably detached performance, and Jourdan, despite his pleasant voice, fails to project much charm. The movie feels slow-moving, and even when it does progress, it struggles to come to life. Like with Shakespeare, translating the subtleties of Boccaccio’s language—the humor and impactful descriptions—to the screen is always a challenge, and this adaptation doesn't succeed. His work deserved a more thoughtful and skilled screenplay. Ultimately, what remains is a muddled romantic story featuring underdeveloped characters. Its length exceeds two hours, so there's really no justification for such shortcomings. It’s unfortunate.

Source on TMDB