The Story of O

Rating:
Summary: A Masterwork of Erotic Fiction
Review: I was prompted to write this review after seeing some of the tripe written about the film. Most so-called adult films are mindless, empty, clinical depictions of rutting and most "erotica" is childish and bland. The Story of O is different: it is literature and the film is an excellent adaptation of the novel. I read the novel first and felt nothing but satisfation on viewing the film. The director and cast bring the novel alive as it is meant to be.

This story, written by a woman I might add, is not about the exploitation of women or a woman. It is not about submission to anything other than one's own love and sexuality. It is symbolic, so profoundly so, that it must touch upon our archetypes.

Many might miss that through submission, O conquers her lover--totally. There is an irony here in that her lover ends up the submissive one. She taps into the infinite power of her femininity and becomes a goddess. I am not into bondage and discipline personally, yet this movie is a favorite of my wife and me. O haunts, she is supernally erotic, and profoundly feminine.

The quality of the film is first class, it is well acted, and is a classic. IMO, it is a must have film. It is the only erotic film in our house--the rest just are so bland.

Rating:
Summary: Revisited and Loved it
Review: I was barely 19 and very naive the first time I saw this film - I was shocked. At first, it seemed to be the chronicle of the debasement and objectifying of the woman, O, by her lover. As the story went on, she triumphed by transforming submissiveness into receptiveness, and gains the somewhat grudging respect of her lover/master figure, who begins to see her as an human being worthy of being won. When I could think of what I'd seen, I was disturbed, but intrigued.

I saw it again 20 years later and was blown away - taken on the surface it is still disturbing, but there is a tremendous power in how O copes with, and begins to influence the outcome of her circumstances. If you can watch with an open mind, this film is a treasure.

Rating:
Summary: Finally on DVD! Best erotic film ever made!
Review: For years I have been awaiting this historic, well made erotic classic to be released on DVD. I have already pre-ordered this DVD, based on the Laser Disc copy I already own. I am hopeful this DVD transfer will be an improvement to my laser disc copy. While not meant to be pornographic, this film is not for the sexually unsophisticated. While watching this beautifully filmed Just Jaeckin (Emmanuel) directed, all time erotic classic, remind yourself that a woman wrote the story. The actress playing O is magnificent. She captures all the erotic tension necessary to make this story believable. I can not recommend this film enough to anyone who is looking for a style of Euro-erotic filmaking that is no longer being made. There are many other 1970's era films that approach this films quality, such as Emmanuel, The Image, Lady Chatterley's Lover, but none quite as powerful, or as "classy" as, "The Story of O...

Rating:
Summary: Classic Soft Core
Review: The Story of O doesn't stand much as a story at all on the surface. It
really is just a film that dared to be original for it's time and probably
succeeded only because of it's massive amounts of nudity. I for one (of many
it's assumed) absolutely adore nudity. The Story of O is actually deeper
than I give it credit for and that is actually something I can appreciate.
I enjoy being convinced that these characters are real and caring about them
and so forth and then seeing the best looking ones rip off there clothes and
prance about in nothing but their epitdermis. That's my absolute favorite
part of cinema actually. Call me primal, shallow and a glutton but it's
among my favorite things.

Corinne Clery is a model turned actress who had a good string of
exploitation-like films going there for quite some time. She is my
definition of perfect in terms of thin brunettes with beautiful faces. Her
body is indeed nice to look at and here we see her more naked than quite
possibly anyone had ever been in film. We don't see anything too graphic
unfortunately but she is nude for about 80% of the film. One more comment
on this dimension, this film does contain my all-time favorite female full
frontal nude scene ever. Toward the end we see Cori in all in glory
standing up, tied to two posts covered in sweat and some nice whiplash marks
as she shakes about with semi-wet hair. Very nice indeed.

O.K., enough on the shameless aspects. The Story of O is a standout
landmark in this genre directed by softcore staple Just Jaekin (Emmanuelle).
He gives an element to softcore that only Andrew Blake can give to hardcore
and what really should be the goal of this now dying genre. This work is far
more intimate and at first seemingly less gratuitous but lets face it, the
end result is really no different to the majority of viewers anyway. The
crowd that is just happy to get Cori Clery paused or looped on their DVDs (I
consider part of myself among them to some degree). However, in the vain of
films that push mainstream and well directed projects to the limits, The
Story of O will always be remembered.

I've heard comparison's to the Image. If you liked the Image, keep in mind
that The Story of O doesn't go that far. Metzger's work is always somewhat
gratuitous and pornagraphic, this film is not. All situations are
stimulated and played down. Nice displays of the female body but also not
an anatomy lesson either. Jaekin actually despises pornography probably
because it mostly misguides the motivations for creating intelligent
pictures about this kind of subject matter.

Rating:
Summary: surprisingly sexy movie
Review: I first saw this film at the Old Santurce Paramount theater when it was first released in the 1970's. I was about 15 then and I was bored to death. Still I was curious to see how the movie would look to me today as a 41 year old. Well, it didn't bore me a at all. I found it to be a sexy, intelligent movie, much better than all the "Emmanuelle" movies of the era. The movie tries to say something about human relationships, something the Cinemax soft core movies of today avoid altogether.

As for the cast Corinne Clery is jaw droppingly beautiful and Udo Kier is his usually strange self. The photography is excellent. I just wished there would have been more extras such as a commentary by someone such as Tim Lucas. Still this movie is worth a second look and will be a good addition to any erotic film fan's DVD library.

Rating:
Summary: Coulda, Shoulda
Review: This one could have been a lot better and should have been a lot sexier. It kinda misses the mark in all areas, except for the fact that if you can get a girl to watc it with you she'll probably be up for some sweating later on -- due to the erotic nature of the film. I'd like to contrast this with the "New Sex Now" video, which, while it is very low in production values, delivers a major payload in the content and expertise that it bestows upon lucky viewers. O, I wish this "O" had been something near as good as the book "Story of O" which was PHENOMENAL -- but alas, it woulda been nice.

Rating:
Summary: Superb!
Review: Excellent movie that has not diminished throughout the years. The story in itself still has an allure that keeps you glued to the screen. Beautifuly re-mastered, I was still spell-bound by this wonderful story. I do beleive that the story is quite a love story, yet some may see this differently. What I see though is, the beauty of one giving over their control to please the one they love.

Rating:
Summary: I fell asleep...
Review: This is a movie about S & M and the like... on such a topic, I'd expect the movie to raise a few eyebrows, but no, it didn't. Slow, meaningless, boring dialogues in what seems to be a lack of a proper storyline... in the end, I almost dozed off watching it. I wish I'd been able to figure out what sort of self-discovery or personal voyage the main character was experiencing... but this movie tells me nothing. Someone mentioned something about the good musical score of this movie... I like punk and rock music but the music in the movie just didn't cut it for me. Perhaps the sex scenes or some great acting could compensate for this boring movie but they didn't. A complete waste of time. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: Erasing Suicide With Fairytale Endings
Review: Better in being somehow more realistic/comprehensible than the Zalmon King wannabe series (complete with its mesmerizing thorazine laden voiceover-I think its stars have enrolled in the SNL school of pronunciation for the word lover!)
Unlike the series, this film gets straighter to the psychological points-not that erotica shouldn't linger! THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT LOVE-OTHERWISE IT WOULD BE A TRASHY, FABIO DECORATED ROMANCE NOVEL!! However the needless and confusing pasted on endings of both versions are bizarrely, ridiculously romantic, and bastardize the novel-whose tragic end lent some integrity to an otherwise painful plot. However this specifi film has the silliest and most unbelievable ending of the both. It just does not feel right-intellectually or emotionally. I won't delve into its implied Freudian theories of a female pleasure linked inextricably and perhaps solely upon a natural female massochism-it is however, interestingly enough, proof of "Domestic Tranquility's" hypothesis that woman subconsciously must choose between benign chivalrous dominance (traditional marriage) or Sir Stephan's Dungeon (malignant dominance).
This is where it becomes fascinating and more significant than fluffy posturings of "love."
Anyway, as a woman it's far more easy to watch than one might imagine!! So have at it!

Rating:
Summary: Set aside preconceptions if you can
Review: Most of us, myself included, have no frame of reference for legitimate sexual servitude. One of the true minority expressions of attraction, affection, and admiration, voluntary surrender of this degree is an almost ineffable experience. Like Anne Rice's Beauty series, The Story of O gives some insight into this world. In the age of feminism, the idea of such surrender is anathema, but following the story to the end we see that O is as much the master as is Stephen. In her perfect obedience, she enslaves the man who knows he will never find such perfect submission and is enchanted.

The film is beautiful,as are the people. Taken as eye candy, it is worth the price, but is further and more complex.

Recommended