Bora Bora

People are saying this is soft porn, it's nothing of the kind. It's just a nice movie about tropical islands and human relations on beaches and grass shacks and very well-tanned people. The silly plot about a guy getting his wife back is just a vehicle to get you to be in Bora Bora without having to leave your living room. The acting stinks, the soundtrack is Muzak, but don't you think it's about time to hit the South Pacific? As for being porn, yes they sometimes toss their clothes on the floor, but there is no sex, no genitalia, just kissing. Maybe that was porn in 1968 but not now. Who needs clothing in Bora Bora?

Ugo Liberatore is the unsung inventor of the "porn in exotic locales" film sub-genre, of which MAY MORNING is his classic achievement. BORA BORA is merely an assembly-line effort which demonstrates why he didn't make the big time (for that see EMMANUELLE or VANESSA a decade later by more talented pornographers).

Storyline very weakly develops a classic clash of cultures theme, as chauvinist jerk played unsympathetically by Corrado Pani pursues his beautiful wife Haydee Politoff to Bora Bora in hopes of a reconciliation.

She's gone native, with boyfriend Mani (Antoine Coco Puputauki), while Pani dallies with lovely guest star Doris Kuntsmann (like Politoff, an unsung but talented beauty of the period). Why this wasn't a German co-production with Doris aboard is a bit mystifying to me, but she does a nice job, as she did in THE SEX OF ANGELS and other Ugo films in the '60s.

Pani gets a native girl of his own in the shapely form of Rosine Copie as Tehina. Her stubby nipples get brief but evocative closeup attention from Ugo's camera, but she doesn't figure prominently in the film's payoff.

Though there are hints at glasnost and an accommodation, old jealousies and the usual racism cue a contrived and most unsatisfying anti-climax and dull ending. Ugo's attempt at significance is preposterous.

Casting Pani was a big mistake -he's worked for many great directors including Visconti and Bolognini, but can't carry a film like this on his back. With the other roles severely underwritten, there's nobody to root for en route to a ho-hum finish. Lovely location photography (Society Islands shoot) by Leonida Barboni (who shot the classic DIVORCE Italian STYLE) is film's strongest suit.

The cinematography is magnificent, as well as the shots of the Gaugain paintings. It is difficult to judge the acting, since I saw the dubbed English version which is available on HULU. The film was released by American International in 1970. It must have been a purchased import. In short the film centers around a man going in search of his wife, who walked out on him. He traces her to Bora Bora, and this is where his problems really begin, with his obsession of winning his wife back, trying all types of ploys to do so. I give this film ** stars for the cinematography. The quality of the print is halfway decent. However this film is not on video or DVD.

(1968) Bora Bora DUBBED ADULT DRAMA

Written and directed by Ugo Liberatore that has Robert (Corrado Pani) just arriving Bora Bora, Tahiti three months later only to find out through a series of other women his wife, Margo (Haydée Politoff) is seeing someone else, a young native named, Manni (Antoine Coco Puputauki). Of course, he becomes jealous, and while he is trying to win her back, he makes out with a series of some other women in efforts to win his wife back. Some of the women he makes out with are Tehina (Rosine Copie), a blonde named Susanne (Doris Kunstmann) and a Chinese lady named Wei. One of the most ridiculous scenes of which has both Robert letting her former lover, Manni competing for his wife, Margo's affection, by making out with her.

Made during the Woodstock era and picked up by American International dubbed from Italian. The set up is reminiscent to a porn movie, without the long love making scenes with the main three or four girls are topless with a few rear end shots. It is non- erotic, with a few glimpses of breasts and rear end shots that does not do anything.

I saw this in Viet Nam in '69....have never seen nor heard of it again. It has a beautiful setting and a tale out of place in 1969, Viet Nam.....Still a haunting movie.