Eugenie de Sade

The writer Albert Raedeck (Paul Muller), known for his erotic works, kills himself after attempting to murder his stepdaughter, Eugenie (Soledad Miranda, here billed as Susan Korday).

A film in which Raedeck strangles a girl in the course of lovemaking is discovered, prompting another writer, Attila Tanner (Jesus Franco) to visit Eugenie on her death bed to determine what happened.

Eugenie reveals how her father caught her reading a volume from his collection of erotica but, rather than being displeased, took it as a signal that she was ready to be inducted into the secrets of life…

Whilst attending a conference, Raedeck and Eugenie sneak away to commit a random murder, killing a photo-model after getting her to pose for some bondage-type shots.

The murder cements their relationship and they become lovers, Raedeck also revealing that he killed Eugenie's mother once she had fulfilled her function in giving birth to the girl.

The Raedecks murder a series of hitchhikers whom no one will miss. But Tanner, who suspects that Raedeck may have "passed from words to deeds", is suspicious…

Finally, Albert selects a young, naïve jazz musician, Paul (Andre Montcall), their next victim, suggesting that Eugenie seduce and utterly destroy him as a prelude to his eventual murder, which they will film. Unfortunately Eugenie grows fond of the man, prompting Albert to extract a terrible revenge on his daughter for what he perceives as her betrayal…

This modern day (late 60s) adaptation of the Marquis de Sade, known variously as Eugenie De Sade, Eugenie de Franval, De Sade 2000 and – best of the lot – Eugenie Sex Happening is, like all of director/writer Jesus Franco's works a genuine challenge to the viewer. And not just in terms of the painful fashions and zooms on display…

It's difficult to know how we are to interpret his interpretation of De Sade. What is the moral of the story? Should we place more weight on the journey or the end point? (And how does this relate to Franco's own reputation as someone who loves the process of making a film, but has little time for the business of selling the end product?) What is the significance of how Franco depicts Eugenie, as somewhat child-like and often curled up in a quasi-foetal position? And what are we to make of the director's own appearance as Attila Tanner? Is he identifying with the character's position or merely quoting his lines?

I'm not saying I know the answers. But I do believe these are worthwhile questions to be asking and that Franco is a film-maker who deserves more respect and attention than he gets from the establishment.

Put it this way: Had Eugenie de Sade been signed by a Jean-Luc Godard critics would be falling over themselves to explain the significance of the red paint that gets daubed on the photo model as a deliberate instance of Brechtian distantation ("it's not blood, it's red"). And, rather than criticising the director for his frequent use of the zoom lens and out of focus shots, they'd be acclaiming such as brilliant deconstructive stratagems.

Their loss…

Away from the intellectual bullshit, it's painful to watch the tragic Soledad Miranda light up the screen once more, knowing that she was to die following a road accident a scant few months later.

Our loss…

Once again Bruno Nicolai's is a delight, alternatively sleazy and tense depending on the required mood of a scene. One only hopes someone will get round to compiling a CD of his sterling work for Franco in this period. (Crippled Dick, are you listening?)

Oracle's Region 2 DVD of Eugenie de Sade asserts that it presents the film in its "original uncut version" though, as with so many Franco films, it's hard to tell what this really means and whether there's such a thing as an "authentic" version.

Regardless, the film is shown in approximately 1.37:1, with very slight masking, and with a choice of French and English dubs, with optional subtitles. Image and audio quality are acceptable though, again it's always difficult to know exactly what it's reasonable to expect from a Franco film.

The extras comprise a comprehensive stills gallery and the original French theatrical trailer.

Curiously an excerpt from Nicolai's music for Eugenie: The Story of Her Journey Into Perversion plays over the menu screens.

Not a DVD for everyone, then, but a worthwhile addition to any Franco fan's collection.