Die frühreifen Mädchen

This modernized Victorian Era-style porn from France is a good example of how mainstream filmmakers can address erotic cinema, in this case softcore porn (very soft -no frontal nudity), with a style and joie de vivre that is sorely lacking from the current gonzo sensibility.

This filmmaker would several years later succumb to grinding out hardcore trash, when the market in France opened to same, but along with other classy titles in his career like "Dossier Prostitution".

But here he is in his element, injecting welcome humor into a traditional jail-bait genre, where four beautiful young girls living with a pair of equally beautiful mature lady aristocrats, have hijinks in coming of age story fashion.

Main comic relief is afforded by an oversexed doctor whose house calls are so frequent that everyone knows something is up. An aphorisiac sex potion conjured up by the family's loyal Black maid (a character treated with welcome respect here) keeps him ready to perform at a moment's notice.

French fluff like this is taken for granted, but a great deal of craftsmanship went into this picture, loaded with production value sadly absent from erotic epics since. Roy's ability to create interesting characters while never lapsing into pretentiousness or even seriousness is to be lauded, for after all, escapism is the goal.

...the four heroines of the countess of Segur in an erotic movie!One should remark that they are no longer girlies but babes.If you have read the novel,you might find this overtly erotic adaptation entertaining. There were dark sides in the earnest countess's work which the script writers exploit here.

Mrs Fichini punished Sophie with her whip,but here the victim seems to enjoy the flagellation.Hence,Mrs de Fleurville's smart idea: to punish Sophie ,she deprives her of flogging.Numerous episodes are free(I mean free) adaptations of the novel:when Marguerite and Sophie get lost in the forest,they are saved by M.Hurel,but he's not a butcher:he's some kind of guru.The final fete becomes a very special evening,thanks to the maid Eliza's-the good Eliza who used to take care of the four young ones- magic potion.

It's moderately funny provided that you know the countess's books atmosphere.

I'll never figure out what the movie was about. Was it erotic and pornographic? No. Was it funny? No. It was more like a drama show about several girls and their mothers living in a castle where there was no man. So they had to play with themselves to get sexual pleasure and sometimes invited other men to play with. While men were scarce, the male doctor became some of their sexual fantasy. But none of what I mentioned above were specifically screenplayed.

I've watched several French movies. Some were boring, some were very sensual, some had a lack of plots, and some were strangely played out. And some were too erotic too watch. I guess I'm not a big fan of French movies so I can't apprehend what their movies want to tell.