Ondata di piacere

Using the potentially claustrophobic atmosphere aboard a yacht to develop a thriller has almost become a movie cliche by now. Most people would probably regard the Australian film Dead Calm as the originator of this idea, but there are a few films that did the same idea before. Ondata di piacere in one of them (an even earlier one is Top Sensation by Ottavio Alessi), and - just as Dead Calm - it also featured a homicidal maniac (John Steiner).

However, there are differences: the title already suggests sexual content and the film delivers, but 'piacere' is not really the right word to describe what's going on. The sex is not exactly playful, especially towards the later stages of the film when Steiner's behaviour becomes increasingly nasty. So, this is less of a horror film than Dead Calm and more of a sex&crime thriller.

Many people will find this shocking and frightening (if not downright offensive), but if we look beyond that we find a film that has been very well put together.

Director Ruggero Deodato will forever and ever remain famous, infamous and worshiped (at least amongst a selected number of avid cult fanatics) because he was the creator of the ultimate exploitation classic "Cannibal Holocaust". But several years prior to delivering that classic – as well as several other horror/trash/cult highlights – he was also responsible for an entirely different type of "flesh feast". The peculiar "Waves of Lust" is a drama/thriller primarily thriving on sexual atmosphere and the unpredictability of the characters' personas. The film doesn't contain much graphic violence or on-screen perversion, but it's continuously ominous and bizarre, which is a remarkable accomplishment on itself. Barbara and Irem, a young and extremely liberated couple, are hanging around the touristy Sicilian coast when they meet up with the unhappily married couple Giorgio and Silvia. Giorgio is a power-mad and obnoxious industrialist who pretty much downgraded his wife Silvia to a slave whom he can mistreat and humiliate whenever he wants and as much as he wants. The two couples head out for a trip aboard Giorgio's yacht, and naturally the sexual intrigues blow through the roof. Giorgio wants to sleep with Barbara, and assumes that he can, but at the same time he doesn't like that Irem takes an interest in his own wife. Barbara particularly enjoys teasing Giorgio and she also doesn't mind evoking a bit of lesbian passion with Silvia. The situation quickly escalates into a gritty web of deceit, alcohol abuse (a lot of alcohol abuse) and attempted murder. Deodato makes terrific use of the isolated yacht setting and the versatility of his four-headed cast, while the screenplay (co-written by Lamberto Bava) contains several great dialogs and clever twists. Unfortunately, however, "Waves of Lust" is overall very slow-moving, often boring and too heavily focusing on the full-frontal nudity of the two lead actresses instead of on some of the potentially interesting sub plots (like, for example, the collapsing of Giorgio's business empire). The film is so boring sometimes that I deeply desired to join Giorgio in drinking copious amounts of J&B Whisky. Believe me, his J&B consumption in this story is enough to cause spontaneous cirrhosis of the liver, as literally his entire yacht is stuffed with whiskey bottles. The soundtrack is downright fabulous, as the case with most Italian movies from the seventies, and the acting performances are the prime reason why "Waves of Lust" remains compelling until the climax. Lead vixen Silvia Dionisio was married to director Ruggero Deodato at the time, but he clearly didn't object sharing his spouse's most intimate body parts with the rest of the world. And what a lucky bastard he was!

Ruggero Deodato does a good job directing his actors. The camera absolutely loves Silvia Dionisio (and it should... she was married to Ruggero Deodato at the time of filming. But the real star of the film is John Steiner as the millionaire yacht owner. Incredible performance!

There's a good deal of nudity here. However, there's very little blood/violence. It's kind of a slow burn with tensions slowly mounting between characters. There are also some extensive underwater scuba diving scenes. Some of these are well shot. However, others are not well shot, and it's difficult to tell what's happening in some of the underwater scenes.

My biggest problems with the film are the cheesy soundtrack and some poor editing mistakes.

Overall, it's worth a look if you're a fan of these things.

An early lurid exploitation gem from the future director of Cannibal Holocaust. The parallel to Polanski's Knife in the Water is undeniable but Deodato (predictably) ups the sex quotient and also injects political tension via the interplay of Steiner's ruthless capitalist playboy persona and the socialist leanings of the mysterious beachcomber couple. In fact, the whole plot almost plays like a symbolic allegory of class struggle except for the recurrent need to inject nudity and sexual situations for ensuring box office. Out of the cast, Steiner really stands out and seems to revel in the out and out sleaziness of his character. His counterpart, Cliver, on the other hand seems mostly somnambulistic throughout. The female leads, Dionisio and Turner aren't shy and jump into their roles, including some lesbian scenes, with enthusiasm. The film's low budget and locations work together to create a unique charm. The soundtrack and wardrobes also contribute to the film's retro allure.

A few years before he went on to make a big splash in the cannibal sub-genre, Ruggero Deodato directed this successful rip-off of Roman Polanski's brilliant Knife in the Water. Naturally, being an Italian film - there's more of a focus on sex than the relationship between the central couples, but the claustrophobic atmosphere and entertaining characters help to keep the tension bubbling over, which ensures that the movie is interesting for the duration. The film doesn't have nearly as much 'bite' as Cannibal Holocaust and most of the rest of Ruggero Deodato's filmography, but it's obvious that even with this early film; Deodato is a director with the potential to make a mark on cinema. The plot is simple in that it just focuses on two couples. George and Silvia invite Irem and Barbara for a weekend cruise on their yacht. It soon transpires that George isn't the most sensitive man to ever live, and Silvia doesn't seem to mind him treating her badly. The situation escalates, and Irem and Barbara join forces with Silvia for vengeance against George...and three way sex, of course.

The film is set aboard a yacht for the majority of its duration, and this makes for a great setting for the movie to take place in. The isolated setting means that Deodato can keep the focus on the characters, which is definitely a good thing for the film. As is the case with a lot of trashy Italian films, some of the characters actions are a bit fishy and the dialogue is largely inane - but these sorts of things don't bother me too much, and Waves of Lust is lots of fun to watch. There are plenty of sex scenes, and while the film features very little blood, it's not important as it's clear where the focus is meant to be. The film doesn't feature any particularly well known performers, although the four central actors would all go on to star in better known Italian films. John Steiner is the biggest standout in acting terms and delivers a good performance alongside eye candy Elizabeth Turner and Silvia Dionisio. Al Cliver (from Zombie Flesh-Eaters) rounds off the central foursome. Overall, Waves of Lust is definitely worth seeing. The atmosphere and tension are good and it all boils down to a satisfying conclusion.