Camp d'amour

While this film does contain some better than usual sex scenes in the series, they can't offset one dimensional comic book type characters and melodramatic acting, especially the cult queen's muscle bound bodyguard/executioner, Tanga, and her snow white boyfriend, played by Christian Anders. The sadism and violence are extreme even compared to other Emmanuelle films. Anders also directed and not very well. His theme song sounds very much like a Beatles tune, All You Need is Love.

Whatever lurid expectations the title conjures, Die Todesgöttin des Liebescamps delivers on the sleaze but not much else. This 1981 exploitation flick is more concerned with flesh and fantasy than coherent storytelling or filmmaking craft. The film bathes in a cheap, sun-drenched aesthetic, relying heavily on soft focus, overexposed jungle lighting, and bare-bones set pieces that seem borrowed from a low-budget travel documentary. The atmosphere aims for exotic danger but ends up feeling like a disjointed fever dream, stitched together with clumsy transitions and directionless pacing.

The performances range from wooden to outright baffling. Laura Gemser, who has carved a niche in Euro-erotic cinema, does her best to lend mystique to her role but is let down by a script that gives her little to work with. Her magnetic screen presence almost rises above the material, though not enough to save it. The rest of the cast fluctuates between stiff line deliveries and awkward physicality, with many scenes bordering on accidental parody. One could argue that the acting suits the tone, but when every dramatic beat lands flat or veers into camp, even that defense wears thin.

Technically, the film is a mixed bag. The camera lingers more on bodies than landscapes, and what few action sequences exist are clumsily staged. Dialogue is often drowned by dubbed-over music, which ranges from kitschy synth to vaguely tribal rhythms, adding to the disorienting mood. Whether intentional or not, the film often feels like a series of disconnected tableaus loosely threaded together by barely motivated characters and exploitative shock value.

What a funny ride! Written, directed, produced by and starring Christian Anders, then one of Germanys foremost "Schlager" singers ("Schlager" being a low-brow chanson-like musical style popular with the elderly and nowadays fondly paid tribute to by "remember the 70s" disco-night revivals), it's main attraction undoubtedly is Laura Gemser in the role of a love cults' divine goddess destined to bring love to the people – or else, if that won't work. Anders, who is of course also responsible for the half-cheesy, half-stolen soundtrack, later, under the influence of eastern religious philosophy, wrote a book on "The Sense of Life", claiming that 30ft high apes once made love to other monkeys, and out came – mankind. His aims looked different back in 1981 (good picture quality on the DVD, by the way; I'm referring to the full uncut release), for "The Death Goddess of the Love Camp" (literal translation) resembles everything you would expect from a cheap, exploitative soft-sex movie out there to do nothing else than make money. The story looks a bit as if the Jim Jones tragedy meets early 70s porn, complete with some musical numbers (badly dubbed) and lots of nudity, and there are even a few torture-like scenes. Direction is terrible, but the film has it's entertaining moments, has Laura Gemser, and is weird enough to be watched at least once.

Those of you familiar with the the various "Emanuelle" films featuring Laura Gemser will be somewhat disappointed with "Divine Emanuelle". Its comic-book approach is somewhat unique: Ms. Gemser floats in as the figurehead of a "love cult", and she comes complete with a pumped-up bodyguard (borrowed from an old Hercules B-movie!) and not enough young, vivacious followers. The storyline is dull and predictable, but who cares... in these films, it's the nudity that counts! Unfortunately, this one comes up short (as compared to, say, Emanuelle in America). Sure, Gemser looks great, and there is one requisite lesbo scene that's not bad; otherwise, it's a bit of a snoozer. I would say that if you can find a rental copy without too much trouble, then sure, it's worth a look.

Yes she does! Well Laura Gemser does, in this rather enjoyable little slice of soft-core sleaze.

This plays along the lines of a "Jim Jones"/"Raj-Neesh" sex cult, with Gemser as the conspicuous Sex Goddess of the group. Giving orders from from her luxurious setting (Complete with man servant in gladiator gear?!?!). She gives orders to enlist people of magnitude and wealth, so as to extend her own wealth and not much more.

If you get into this sort of exploitation, I recommend you give it a whack. The settings and photography are well done and the "Love" song continuously played throughout is REALLY annoying. Though it gets used by the actors at times, which is quite funny.