Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		2.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		2.5

Amore Libero - Free Love Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman August 30, 2023

Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as part of Severin's The Sensual World of Black Emanuelle release.

Kier-la Janisse gave film fans one of the most outstanding boxed sets of the last few years with All the Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folk Horror, a late 2021 release that ended up making my Best of 2022 list. Janisse is back now with another gigantic boxed set, one that's even bigger than the folk horror compendium, and one that may appeal to a certain niche audience who may not have been especially interested in that earlier set. Those who may remember the rating system of days of yore will probably recall the "M" designation, which meant "for mature audiences only", and if I may be permitted an orthographic joke that is admittedly a bit arcane, some might argue that Emanuelle gave up one of her "m"'s in favor of three x's, at least with regard to some cuts of the many Black Emanuelle films. For those not conversant with the history of this perceived franchise, and who may be scratching their heads at my "joke" (what else is new?), Black Emanuelle was a pretty blatant attempt to cash in on Emmanuelle, and in order to avoid any potential legal hassles one of those original "m"'s in the title character's name got dropped. Furthermore, as supplements on many of the discs included in this set offer, there were hardcore XXX inserts (in more ways than one) that at least some of the Black Emanuelle productions offered. Joke explained, hopefully. Perhaps even more comedically than my fitful attempt at humor, the Black Emanuelle series ended up offering many more films than its perceived progenitor, and 24 of them (with additional cuts) are aggregated in this at times overwhelming collection. This is a collection where the quality of the films may be highly debatable, though it's salient to note that the supplements both overtly reference and are in and of themselves examples of perhaps unexpected critical scrutiny this franchise has engendered, and anyone interested in this kind of bizarre franchise mash up of what might be called porno, mondo and gonzo will most likely find this an amazing set to dive into.

Amore Libere was Laura Gemser's big screen debut, and it's a rather interesting film that actually (don't laugh at this part, I'll explain) kind of hints at elements explored in films as disparate as The Wicker Man and Where the Green Ants Dream, at least in dribs and drabs. Gemser portrays Janine, an island girl who catches the eye of newcomer Francesco (Enzo Bottesini), after he arrives to work on a local mine and by allusion bring "progress" to the locals. There is a bit of the "folk horror" aspect here that was the subject of that other gigantic box set from Kier-la Janisse mentioned above, as it turns out the locals have their own "customs" and may not want progress brought to their idyllic shores. As much as the Black Emanuelle series (and this very box set) champions the work of composer Nico Fidenco, Amore Libere has one of the more outstanding scores in the set, in this case the very catchy work for Fabio Frizzi. Two tracks from the score are included on the second bonus CD that is offered in this set.

Amore Libero - Free Love Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Black Cobra is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Severin's almost overwhelming book The Black Emanuelle Bible included with this set offers a brief description of the transfer, as follows:

Source: 2K scan from 35mm print.

Things are at least marginally more appealing with regard to this transfer culled from a 35mm print than they are Emanuelle, Queen of the Desert. The palette is noticeably more healthy looking, especially in the lovely outdoor scenes by water, where both seas and skies offer an appealing gamut of blue and green hues. Occasionally flesh tones can have a just slightly sickly looking yellow-green tint, though this tends to occur in less fulsomely lit conditions. Minor age related wear and tear can be spotted. Grain resolves naturally. My score is 2.75.

Amore Libero - Free Love Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Amore Libere features DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono tracks in either English or Italian. While toggling between the tracks will disclose that the English track is brighter and louder, what may be of real interest is how divergent the tracks actually are. Listen, for example, to what happens to the score versus dialogue or sound effects in the opening scene in both tracks for just one example. One way or the other, dialogue is offered without any major issues. Optional English subtitles are available.

Amore Libero - Free Love Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Seductress (HD; 9:56) is an interview with actress Olga Bisera. Subtitled in English.


• English Opening Credit Sequence (HD; 2:01)


• Trailer (HD; 3:21)

Amore Libero - Free Love Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Gemser frankly doesn't have a lot to do in this film other than look gorgeous, but she certainly pulls that off without a hitch. The film actually has some really interesting elements that unfortunately are never completely developed. Technical merits are okay, though video quality probably pales a bit when compared to other transfers in this set culled from less secondary elements. The few supplements included are enjoyable.