Le voyeur

Tinto Brass is notorious in Italy where he made a series of sexually explicit comedies and The Voyeur is no exception.

A college professor is married to a stunningly beautiful and sexy woman named Sylvia, played by the Polish born Katarina Vasilissa. She is frequently nude throughout the film, as are other actors and actresses.

The sex scenes are quite explicit for a mainstream comedy and Katarina is a captivating and had me mesmerized by her beauty.

Sylvia is the only reason for my 5/10 rating, as the story does not really go anywhere.

Sylvia's suffering husband suspects that his wife is having an affair with his bed ridden father. Tinto leaves nothing to the imagination as we see several men in a state of arousal.

Other than the body of Ms. Vasilissa, I have no reason to recommend this movie for those seeking an actual drama with a decent storyline.

The story of erotic films in the 1990s is largely a very sad one. American main stream cinema seems to avoid the subject altogether, B movies are obsessed with coupling sex with violence and death, and the typical porno is as exciting as drying paint. But there are a few exceptions, most notably the films of Tinto Brass, and this film here is a prime example.

What is so unique about Brass' films of this decade (and to a slightly lesser degree his 1980s films as well) is how they manage to combine eroticism with an explicitness that is close to hardcore porn, and that without ever looking seedy or overly stylish. Greatly supporting this effect are the music of Riz Ortolani and the excellent cinematography by Massimo Di Venanzo. With L'Uomo che guarda Brass seems to be telling the porno makers: "this is how a sex film can and should look like".

The UK certificated version of this is about 8 minutes shorter than the original, but even that version would have no chance of an R rating in the USA. The quality of the English dubbing is a bit better than usual, but still we have to endure the traditional incomprehensible fake American accent for the leading male as in so many Italian films.

I have never seen an erotic movie like this before, nor have I ever found any to be as satisfying, even though I had to put up with English subtitles. The Tinto Brass perspective on female anatomy is quite uncommon in American porn.

Instead of numerous scenes of topless skinny women with fake boobs, Tinto gives us a good look at some rather curvaceous derrières and, for variation, a few close-up views of women self stimulating some rather hairy vaginas. While breasts aren't the main focus, and they aren't the biggest boobs you've seen, they do appear natural! You should also note that male anatomy is revealed more in this film than in soft porn; there a many close up shots of male penises in female hands. Unlike hardcore, however, fellatio is not depicted, nor does the camera zoom in on penetration. I especially liked the fact that there is no semen or feces, staples of some hardcore films which disgust me.

As in many erotic stories, the basic idea is to show a clear contrast between the intimacy of true love and the moral depravation of lust and wanton sex, in this case with the spotlight on voyeurism. To paraphrase the principal male character, Dodo, voyeurism is more than an idle spectator's indulgence of his/her lustful desires. It is a mutual endeavor to lay bare intimate sexual secrets in all their carnal essence and vulnerability, a revolt against a hypocritical society that represses a vital part of life out of pure ignorance. While this may be well stated, the film fails to prove this point with its numerous unrealistic scenes of people acting shamelessly in both public and private settings.

Love is portrayed by the relationship between Dodo and his wife Silvia. In a playful foreplay scene, Silva dresses in front of Dodo, allowing us to get a good look at Katarina Vasilissa, a very pretty, tall blond. Her 23 years at the time of shooting stood up well to close inspection from the camera. She acted reasonably well, and the sex between her and Dodo appears intimate, however, I wasn't left with the impression that she was truly in love. This may be the reason the film only earned a rating of 6.

Moral depravation is portrayed by the relationship between Dodo's father and his nurse, Fausta, whom he hires more for sexual favors than for medical treatment. This humorous part of the story is too slapstick for my taste. A forgivable flaw, however, since Tinto gives you a good feel for Christina Garavaglia's well rounded buttocks! As for the overall production, what I liked most was the Jazz music soundtrack. On the other hand, most settings were rather mundane, and I didn't like the lighting at all. It wasn't consistent from scene to scene, and all too often the characters were set against a bright background, which actually makes it harder to see them clearly.

So, to sum it up, if well rounded buttocks and hairy vaginas are your thing, if you want plenty of sex without going hardcore, and if you find tall blonds attractive, than this film may be worth a look.

I love Voyeur. Everything about it is amazing. Story, actors and nudity. You can get the uncut or cut versions of this movie. Also for sale on dvd and Blu Ray Uncut which I own. The leading woman is gorgeous and the nudity is a turn on for any man. Not in a dirty way but appreciating the female beauty. I wont spoil the story but I love it. Son and Father story and with Italian Erotica you can expect great stuff. Tinto Brass is an amazing director as well. Everything in the movie is thought very well.

While it's hard to take a Tinto Brass film as anything more than a guilty pleasure, L'uomo che guarda may be the closest he ever came to making a film with real depth and it succeeds in juggling campy erotica with character study and a statement about human nature. While the blatant sexuality and skimpy outfits often border on the absurd, and often make it difficult to take the story seriously - especially in the scenes with Dodo's father and his assistant - this isn't as extreme as in Brass's recent work, especially the hilarious Cosi fan tutte. And in several other scenes - the one with the bisexual photographer stands out, as well as the nudist beach dream sequence - the nudity and sex are used in a more mature, and even disturbing fashion. Brass isn't known for subtlety or minimalism in his sex scenes, and this film is no exception, but he uses it more smartly this time, constructing an interesting and complex character in Dodo and saying something more interesting than usual about voyeurism in human sexuality and, as an extension, in film. A smart erotic film that tries to make the viewer think rather than just turn them on, and definitely one worth checking out for anyone not offended by nudity and blatant sexuality.