6.1 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
In this masterpiece of sexual obsession, cinema's original sin returns with its shocking portrait of sexual submission from master of erotica Just Jaeckin (Emmanuelle, Lady Chatterly's Lover). A stunning young woman (Corinne Clery) surrenders herself at a remote chateau at her lover's (Udo Kier) request and is immediately forced into a round the clock regimen of every sexual appetite imaginable. Her submission is total to the orgasmic odyssey that explores the shadowy boundaries between pleasure and pain.
Starring: Corinne Clery, Udo Kier, Anthony Steel, Jean GavenErotic | 100% |
Foreign | 59% |
Romance | 44% |
Drama | 43% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 kbps)
French: Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Based on Pauline Reage’s novel “The Story of O” (1975) is universally regarded as a milestone in erotic cinema. As controversial as the actual book pic has survived numerous clashes with the censors, even here in America. Freshly remastered “The Story of O” arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Somerville House.
A beautiful young woman (Corrine Clery) is taken to a gothic mansion where her lover (Udo Kier) will introduce her into a world of seduction, pain, humiliation, and ecstasy. She would participate in a ritualistic game where men and women will play their fantasies while following a strict set of rules. Back in Paris the woman and her lover will reflect on their adventure.
Let the games begin!
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC, and granted a 1080p transfer The Story of O arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Somerville House Releasing.
There is a lot to be pleased with in this new transfer of Just Jaeckin's cult picture The Story of O -- as long as you understand how the film was shot, its history, and what could have been achieved in an HD presentation. With this small disclaimer out of the way, I must note that personally I am very satisfied with what I have in my hands. Somerville House Releasing have delivered a transfer that which reveals good clarity and detail, has a color scheme which is very much in sync with the dreamy atmosphere of the film, and a degree of contrast which I believe is the best that has been achieved in any format. Of course, the key issue here is understanding how good Just Jaeckin's film could look. If you expect to see a lush, well-defined, and bursting with colors transfer, then you are in for a great deal of disappointment. If you, however, expect to see the heavy grain of The Story of O preserved, the dreamy, at times, misleadingly faded-looking, color scheme intact, with plenty of dirt being removed, then you will really like what the Blu-ray release offers. Let's be honest here, this is a cult erotic film which will never look as good as a restored Last Tango in Paris. If anything, it would look on par with what a restored Sergio Martino, Ugo Tognazzi, or Mariano Laurenti film from the early 70s would look like in HD. And as far as I am concerned, if you are interested in classic erotic European cinema this transfer of The Story of O is probably the best treatment the film will boast in a very, very long time. Finally, I specifically wish to comment on the fact that a lot of the annoying specks and scratches that are noticeable on the old DVD release have been eliminated. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).
Three different tracks are available: English Dolby Digital 2.0, French Dolby Digital 2.0, and Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0. First of all I would like to clarify something: The Story of O was composed in the same manner a lot of Italian gialli are -- they relied and utilized post-production overdubbing where the actors rerecorded their own lines. Furthermore, I've always seen this film projected in English. I am aware that the French track is being regarded by some as the original audio track but the fact of the matter is the actors utter an overwhelming amount of their lines in English.
This being said, the audio treatment here is solid. The dialog is very easy to follow and the marvelous soundtrack by Pierre Bachelet comes off the speakers much more convincingly than what I hear produced by my DVD. I am unsure how expansive the restoration efforts have been in the audio department but it is quite obvious to me that the audio is stronger, better balanced, and without any disturbing drop-outs, hissing, or cracks. Subtitles are not provided for any of the three tracks (small bits of imposed English subs are available when the French track is on). Finally, I quickly wish to note that I also spent some time with the French track which isn't bad at all. The narration is quite well done and as far as I could tell there aren't any issues with the technical presentation.
On this Blu-ray disc you will find the original French and English trailers for the film, text-format biographies for Just Jaeckin, Udo Kier, and Corinne Clery, as well as a gallery of photos. The back cover of my Blu-ray disc also notes the availability of previously unreleased scenes but such I could not find here. What is even stranger, however, is the inclusion of a full-blown commentary with the director of the film which is entirely in French without English subtitles. I could only guess that it was meant for the French release of The Story of O and it somehow found its way to this disc but the needed sub-track was never included. Nevertheless, if you are fluent in French this is actually quite an enjoyable commentary with plenty of revealing comments addressing the history of the film.
I am very pleased to see that The Story of O made its way to Blu-ray. I understand that classic erotic cinema isn't everyone's cup of tea, but for those of us who have a special interest in the so-called sub-genres (erotica, gialo, cult horror) this is a very encouraging development. I certainly hope that even more of the smaller distributors will begin releasing forgotten gems which never really saw proper treatments on DVD. We need them. As to The Story of O, I strongly encourage you to consider it if, once again, you appreciate what the picture has to offer. Recommended.
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