150 of 157 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Remarkable staying power, January 12, 2000
This review is from: Emmanuelle [VHS] (VHS Tape)
It is amazing that over a quarter of a century since its original release that Emmanuelle remains in the top three best selling French films on video. But is it so remarkable? Here we have a piece of pure eroticism which has scarcely been matched in all those years. Emmanuelle is not about explicit sexual action - those that buy it will be disappointed if that is what they expect, with the exception of the notorious nightclub smoking scene which I feel sure director Just Jaeckin must now regret including. If it is possible to feel outraged by anything when watching a movie about sex, then this scene provokes that reaction. No, this is a mainstream movie which has the power to move both men and women viewers - not least because of a towering central performance by the gloriously sexy Ms Kristel. She is never self-conscious about her body nor at the same time ever flaunts it. Her nudity is completely natural and her joy in her exploration of her sexuality totally convincing.
This is because Kristel - and a high-profile supporting cast - are all extremely capable actors, and are very well directed by Jaeckin. I guess one should not take the overall premise of totally liberated sexual experimentation too seriously, but you completely believe in the characters and want them to come out of the other side unscathed. I first saw this movie as an 18-year-old on its original release, saw it again with its original French dialogue in Paris several years later and have watched it countless times on video and TV since. Yet it still retains the same erotic charge as it did all those years ago. How Kristel managed to completely fail to live up to it in her subsequent films is completely beyond me. The rest of her Emmanuelle series are unsexy and even seedy by comparison and her ventures into American films offered her nothing of any substance. I believe Hollywood missed a glorious opportunity to create an top international star.
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34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting Film, better than what you can find now days, April 29, 2005
An Adult, not rated, film
This is the first film in a trilogy (there are actually some other films that followed, just like Asimov's Foundation "Trilogy" ended up being more than three books) that stars Sylvia Kristel as Emmanuelle and spawned a large number of copy-cats (most of which go by the name Emanuelle). This particular film is based on Emmanuelle Arsan's 1957 book "Emmanuelle." This film also stars Alain Cuny, and Marika Green and co-starred Daniel Sarky, Jeannie Colletin, and Christine Boisson. The film's director, Just Jacekin, also directed "The Story of O."
This is a film about a couple in an open marriage living in Bangkok, the husband is a diplomat. The film opens with Emmanuelle in Paris getting ready to head off to join her husband in Bangkok for the first time. Once she arrives, she is introduced to the Bangkok culture and the Europeans living there (and their loose ways).
There are numerous interesting scenes, like: when the Thai butler chases after one of the maids and "mauls" her; when the Europeans living in Bangkok gather together and socialize next to a pool, and one of the woman flirt with Emmanuelle (some top-less, some completely nude, like Emmanuelle, extended scene of her and another woman swimming nude underwater); the scene when one of the women from the pool party shows up and touches Emmanuelle while she is sleeping, and then later, top-less, they talk on the porch and both pleasure themselves (Emmanuelle: as she recalls her activities aboard the plane on the trip to Bangkok where a man just walked up to her and started fondling her and more right there in the open and others, separately, joined in the fun); the lesbian scene at the racquetball club; then the numerous scenes with the female Bee and Emmanuelle traveling in Thailand; another scene at the athletic club, this one in the locker room; then the numerous scenes where Emmanuelle is under the control of an older man who forces her to do things she might not particularly like with various strange men, and some things which are definitely rape.
Red-headed Emmanuelle is something of an experienced yet naive girl in this first film in the trilogy, until she is lead into "eroticism" by an older man (that older man's lessons: love between couple's should be outlawed, every act should include three people). In this film there are scenes seen through the point of view of Emmanuelle and some through the POV of her husband.
An interesting little film that seems to be of a higher quality than you might find now-days, but still seems to be nothing more than an excuse to jump from one "adult" scene to another, with some non-adult scenes in-between.
Interesting little trailer, notes that the French president banned it forever, until a new government "set it free." Oddly enough, until I watched it again for review, I thought this had been a better movie than I now think of it. (4.10)
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31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An erotic adventure into the lucidity of the soul., March 18, 1999
This review is from: Emmanuelle [VHS] (VHS Tape)
What stands out first and foremost in this '70s sexsploitation flick is the natural beauty of all the female leads, particularly Sylvia Krystal. Although hardcore porn fans may not find the scenes revealing enough, I feel there is a lot to be said about leaving something to the imagination. I would recommend skipping through the rape scenes which seem oddly out of place. This movie can by no means be taken seriously, but if you enjoy unaugmented women who are relatively competent actresses, you'll love the sexual aristeia of Emmanuelle.
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