La Vénus en fourrure

Pretty to look at with marvellous lakeside, mountain, woodland, seashore settings and not forgetting the delectable, Laura Antonelli. But that's pretty much all the plus points. The Leopold von Sacher-Masoch tale is a difficult one to get across at the best of times but the choice of lead actor is crucial and here Regis Vallee appears to not even understand his own role, let alone convey to us his feelings. It's not all his fault, the terrible jingly muzak doesn't help and nor does the slow pace. I guess it must have seemed a good idea to have voice over for passages from the book but when they are so inappropriately spoken over glossy clichéd scenes, it detracts and even, for me, denigrates the original work itself. Antonelli does her very best, ever ready to be seductive, loving, hateful and even violent but we just don't buy it. Jess Franco's movie of the same name that came out the same year is better but then it's Venus in Furs in name only! For anyone keen enough to try again with the theme, I recommend the 1994 film of the same name by Seyforth and Nieuwenhuijs.

Massimo Dallamano's adaptation of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch's controversial literary work presents a visually sumptuous yet emotionally hollow exploration of obsession and psychological manipulation. The film succeeds in creating an atmosphere of decadent luxury, with rich cinematography that luxuriates in textures of fur, silk, and flesh, but struggles to find coherent emotional grounding beneath its beautiful surface.

Laura Antonelli delivers a commanding performance as the enigmatic Wanda, wielding her sexuality with calculated precision while maintaining an air of mysterious detachment. Her presence dominates every frame she occupies, transforming what could have been mere exploitation into something approaching genuine psychological complexity. Régis Vallée provides adequate support as the tormented Severin, though his portrayal occasionally feels more reactive than truly engaged with the character's deeper psychological wounds.

The production design deserves particular praise, creating environments that feel both opulent and suffocating. Dallamano's camera work lingers on details - the way light catches on velvet, the interplay of shadows across skin - building a visual language that speaks to the film's themes of voyeurism and desire. However, the pacing frequently stumbles, with moments of genuine tension interrupted by sequences that feel more concerned with aesthetic display than narrative momentum.

While the film tackles mature psychological themes with some sophistication, it never quite transcends its exploitation origins. The exploration of trauma and its manifestation in adult relationships shows promise but lacks the depth needed to make the more disturbing elements feel genuinely necessary rather than merely provocative.

If the sight of a big floppy horse's dobber dribbling spunk isn't enough to convince you that by this point Italian cinema had discarded restraint and headed off for 'pushing boundaries' territory, then I don't know what will. Except maybe the other bits of this film that don't involve horse porn.

Severin is some sort of messed up guy who can't get over the time he was spying on a maid doing the nasty with some guy, getting caught, getting slapped around, and then being held between the maid's boobs (I'm not sure if that part was strictly legal in 2017). Now an all grown up messed up pervert, he finds himself spying on attractive model Wanda, who likes to dress up in furs and do a bit of invisible banjo playing - and she knows Severin is watching!

Eventually these two hook up and Severin wants Wanda to sleep with other guys in front of him and beat him up and all sorts of crap and at first Wanda seems to think this is the ultimate freedom until she starts getting second thoughts (right about the time Severin gives her a letter that would serve as an alibi should Severin end up dead during their crazy sex games!).

But is she really fed up or is her rage and beatings part of some elaborate game? And what about the lesbian house maids? Or the bizarre fantasies of Severin. Or the last ten minutes? No really? What was that all about? Was it her or some other chick?

If you like boobs, pubes, short-changed dudes and lesbian interludes you'll like this one I guess. I can't believe I actually paid money for this! Or an HMV voucher - something like that.

If you've come across this is it's probably because you may have heard the term Venus in Furs somewhere and wanted to figure out what it's all about. First off, this version is not the one most people think of. That would be the one starring Klaus Kinski and not at all related. This is not that one but an Italian made film made in the late 60s and subsequently banned for explicit sexual content. Eventually released in the 70s However, this film, as it turns out, is an excellent, sexual fantasy, psychological thriller of sorts. I think we might call it an erotic thriller or drama.

In the beginning the two characters agree to explore certain sexual fetishes in their marriage. Eventually things start to spiral out of control in their role playing. Things get really ugly and violent both in the real world and fantasy world (which is shown in vivid detail). By the end of the film all the wheels have come flying off the bus and its more or less meyham all around. The ending is a surprise, which I would not give away. The ending is what makes the film great.

All told it is a very good film and one I'm sure you will remember for a long time. A real hidden gem.

There are a few somewhat disturbing parts. One relating to two horses, it's just hard to watch. Another is a fantasy scene which depicts a rape. So be warned. I do not reccomend for anyone who is a victim of sexual assault.

This is an Italian adaption of the book of the same name. I haven't actually read the book myself, although I am very familiar with the seminal song 'Venus in Furs' by The Velvet Underground. So I had a basic idea that this story is about a sadomasochistic relationship between a couple – Severin and the 'whiplash girl-child' (Wanda). The song is of course a bona fide untouchable classic, the film somewhat less so. Nevertheless, it's still a stylish and effective slice of Eurotica.

It tells a tale about Wanda (Laura Antonelli) who is driven by her masochistic husband Severin into sexually dominating him. This entails her being blatantly unfaithful and treating him contemptuously. As time progresses he struggles with his own rules.

The movie benefits from the sure hand of director Massimo Dallamano who was responsible for two excellent later films the giallo What Have You Done to Solange? and the giallo-poliziotteschi crossover What Have They Done to your Daughters? Venus in Furs isn't in the same bracket as those but then it is a very different type of film. It's pretty playful tone-wise for the most part, with a cheerful lounge soundtrack. It also looks pretty good with some decent locations, while Antonelli is great to look at as well. It is fairly erotic with a lot of classy nudity but be warned it does also contain a pretty notorious moment where we are treated to the sight of a couple of horses banging each other. Its horses for courses if you can excuse the pun.

Overall, though, this is a pretty good erotic drama. Also it should not be confused with the Jesus Franco film of the same name, also from 1969, which is similarly impressive but has nothing whatsoever to do with the novel Venus in Furs.