EUGENIE... THE STORY OF HER JOURNEY INTO PERVERSION

DVD Region 0. Blue Underground [USA] / Anchor Bay Entertainment [UK]

Filmed in 1969, Eugenie is the second Jess Franco film to be based on the writings of French philosopher/libertine Marquis de Sade, in this case Philosophy in the Boudoir (the title on the print used here). Depicting the sexual degeneration of a young ex-convent girl, Eugenie (Marie Liljedahl - best known for her role in Joe Sarno's Inga), it moves dreamily from one kinky sex scene to another, increasingly upping the ante until Eugenie finally succumbs to her deeply hidden depravity in an orgy of bloodlust. Staying on a barren paradise island with an incestuous brother and sister, Madame Saint Ange (Maria Rohm, the producer's gorgeous wife) and Mirvel (Franco regular Jack Taylor), the highlights of the film are the visits from a group of aficionados of the old Marquis, led by Dolmance (Christopher Lee), who introduce Eugenie to the dubious delights of pleasure and pain.

Filmed on the desolate South-east coast of Spain, with shots of Murcia's high-rise skyline enshrouded in mist accompany the opening credits, this is undoubtedly one of Franco's most accomplished films (and the prolific director has made many, including Succubus, Vampyros Lesbos, Virgin Among the Living Dead, The Sadist of Notre Dame and Faceless). For this project, the cinematography is more vibrant and interesting than usual, courtesy of coloured gels, delightful framing and even the use of crane shots. Plus, it appears that half the budget has been spent on delightful costuming and fetishistic lingerie; Madame Saint Ange wears see-thru chiffon blouses and dresses and young Eugenie wanders through the early stages of the film in a state of catatonia and a number of cheesy mini-dresses. Later, of course, she wanders about starkers. Christopher Lee, who still swears he was unaware of the film's overt sexual content, sports the smoking jacket he wore as Sherlock Holmes, whilst his SM cronies are dressed like members of Fleetwood Mac.

At one point, Eugenie exclaims: "This cigarette tastes funny." Reassuringly, Mirvel explains, "They're Turkish, Oriental." Quite. And they're colour coded too. The film is based around such drug-taking devices (there's also a spirited speech extolling the virtues of wine) and, much like Franco's masterwork Succubus, unfolds like a hallucinogenic dream, which forces Eugenie and the audience to question reality. After her na‘ve foray into reefer smoking, Dolmance and his De Sade fan club appear to whip and beat her. Each of these increasingly intense scenes is accompanied by a wickedly noisy and sleazy score by spaghetti western stalwart Bruno Nicolai. Indeed, Eugenie is film is worth watching for the insane soundtrack alone and often seems like a kinky, kitsch take on a western, especially when delirious Eugenie comes across a threadbare cemetery composed of a few simple wooden crosses.

The film begins with our heroine as a petulant, spoilt rich kid, in a typically dull, Catholic, Spanish household and culminates in her obvious revelry in increasingly heavy and disturbing SM scenarios, it could be seen as a fantasist's attempt to break away from the existence of (General) Franco's dour dictatorship. On the other hand, it may just be another product of producer Harry Alan Towers and (Jess) Franco's collective dirty minds, which at that time were responsible for some of the erratic director's best work. Although I'm not keen on Franco's recurring obsession with sado-masochistic imagery, Eugenie is a feast of kaleidoscopic colour, other-worldly landscapes (dawn-lit sand dunes) and genuinely erotic scenes - such as the young victim's initiation into the joys of sapphic sex - that comes highly recommended for connoisseurs of European smut from this era. It's hardly a work of art, but it's a great looking movie and is certainly a lot of perverse fun.

What's more, aside from a few grainy long shots of the ocean and sky, Blue Underground's DVD release looks superb, with a pin sharp transfer and rich colour. There are also surprisingly candid interviews with Franco, producer Harry Alan Towers, Marie Liljedahl (who now regrets her full frontal forays in both this film and Inga) and Christopher Lee; the latter explaining why he insisted on having his name removed from the credits when the film was originally released. There's also an extensive gallery of stills, which serve to further emphasise the production's use of seductive lingerie, and an insert with liner notes by Francophile Tim Lucas. The UK release on Anchor Bay Entertainment is identical to the American Blue Underground release and both are refreshingly uncensored. All in all, an absolute must for aficionados of Euro trash, especially as Eugenie has a touch of arthouse too!

HENRY CLARKE (with additions by ADRIAN LUTHER-SMITH)

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