The session: "Porno Month...Well, Sort of: de Sade Month"
We watch films inspired by the works of the Marquis de Sade.
Week 1: Marquis de Sade: Justine (1969)
Directed by Jesus Franco
My Impressions Going In:
I had never heard of this.
Plot:
After being orphaned, poor Justine embarks on a series of adventures with strange lecherous men.
Reaction and Other Folderol:
Justine is in many ways a fun, adventurous romp. In some ways it reminded me of Supervixens, a Russ Meyer flick that Keith showed us earlier this year. Here, the title character is going from place to place, accommodation to accommodation. Everywhere she goes, there's a lecherous man (or men) who want to rape her, and she barely escapes with her virginity intact.
There are, of course, differences -- this has better production values than Supervixens, and the sexes are reversed. And, of course, in SV, the main character does have sex with all the people he runs into. But there is still a similarity in that this feels like a series of disjointed adventures rather than one coherent story.
Another shortcoming is in the wasted talents of Jack Palance and Klaus Kinski. Kinski, as much as he can be deliciously psychotic, is wasted here, playing the part of a prisoner. He paces, he writes. But I don't recall if he even uttered one word. Palance's role isn't quite so minor, but again, very little is done with him. He plays the role of the head of a religious order that briefly takes her in. It's well that his character didn't get to do as much as he wanted, but Palance's limited role meant that the audience missed out.
Ratings
Me: 7
Bob-O: 8
Dave: 8.7
Ethan: 7
Joe: 10
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