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.

A mysterious young couple on vacation meet a cruel but rich industrialist and his abused wife. They accept the other couple's invitation to accompany them on a yacht trip. Sex games and eventually murder ensue. This movie is kind of a cross between a Italian giallo, with it's murder plot and jaded European bourgeois characters, and an Italian "terror" film like "Late Night Trains", "Terror Express" (which also featured actress Dionisio) or "House by the Edge of the Park" (also directed by Ruggiero Deodato). It's not quite as nasty as your typical "terror" film, and the emphasis much more on swinging 70's sex than rape/revenge or other violence. It also somewhat resembles the later Australian film "Dead Calm", which may not be a coincidence as the the popular Charles Williams novel that that movie was based on was actually written back in the 1950's and was being kicked around at about that time in Europe and America as a possible Orson Welles project.

But while "Dead Calm" was about sexual tension, this movie is all about sex. The beautiful Silvia Dionisio (who Deodato later married, and I don't blame him a bit) spends more time with her clothes off than on, as does the unknown actress who plays the industrialist's long suffering wife. There is straight sex, lesbian sex, three-way sex, attempted rape, sexual humiliation--the whole nine yards. The half-baked murder plot doesn't occur until the end, and seems pretty perfunctory. But it is good to have a nasty burst of violence to kind of cleanse your palate after sitting through what is almost too much gratuitous sex. Of course, this film not nearly as nasty or harrowing as Deodato's later "Cannibal Holocaust" or "House by the Edge of the Park", but it's probably more fun to watch. And it does show the emergence of some promising exploitation talent in its leading lady and especially in its director.

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.

If it wasn't for the very frequent nudity from its two lovely actresses, Ruggero Deodato's Waves of Lust would be a very boring film indeed. Even with the regular nakedness, it's still moderately dull.

The main problem is the notable lack of a decent plot: a young couple, Irem and Barbara (Al Cliver and Silvia Dionisio) befriend a sadistic businessman Georgio (John Steiner) and his submissive wife Silvia (Elizabeth Turner) and are invited to spend the weekend with them on their motor yacht. In between visiting deserted islands and scuba-diving, the foursome indulge in partner swapping, but Georgio's heavy drinking and sadistic streak ultimately results in violence and death. The bulk of the film involves the various characters hooking up with each other for scenes of softcore titillation, which is fine for a while, but eventually leads to tedium, and one yearns for a clever plot twist to make things more interesting.

Unfortunately, the writers of this mess seem unable to come up with anything of interest outside of the nipple-sucking, thigh stroking and breast fondling. The final act, which doesn't come soon enough, sees Irem and Barbara sailing away on Georgio's boat, Silvia having fallen overboard and presumably drowned, with a drunken Georgio ditched in the ocean wearing scuba gear and a load of weights around his neck. What the film doesn't show is the young couple being arrested for double murder the moment they try to moor the stolen boat in a harbour.

4.5/10 for the bums, boobs and bush, rounded up to 5 for the very sexy Dionisio, who reminded me a bit of my favourite Hammer actress, Linda Hayden.

N.B. Animal lovers beware: Deodato gets some practice in for his infamous Cannibal Holocaust with the killing of a moray eel, the poor creature harpooned and then stabbed in the head with a large knife.