Customer Reviews

STORY OF O

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

I was prompted to write this review after seeing some of the tripe written about the film. Most so-called adult films are mindless, empty, clinical depictions of rutting and most "erotica" is childish and bland. The Story of O is different: it is literature and the film is an excellent adaptation of the novel. I read the novel first and felt nothing but satisfation on viewing the film. The director and cast bring the novel alive as it is meant to be.

This story, written by a woman I might add, is not about the exploitation of women or a woman. It is not about submission to anything other than one's own love and sexuality. It is symbolic, so profoundly so, that it must touch upon our archetypes.

Many might miss that through submission, O conquers her lover--totally. There is an irony here in that her lover ends up the submissive one. She taps into the infinite power of her femininity and becomes a goddess. I am not into bondage and discipline personally, yet this movie is a favorite of my wife and me. O haunts, she is supernally erotic, and profoundly feminine.

The quality of the film is first class, it is well acted, and is a classic. IMO, it is a must have film. It is the only erotic film in our house--the rest just are so bland.

This is a high quality and timeless masterpiece of erotic expression that will bring back discerning viewers again and again and again (and again)!

And again, if you are into totally erotic submission and vengeful whipping of helpless and buxom nude gorgeous young ladies.

This story covers a wide range of very intense sexual and moralistic emotions, that we all experience but which few of us are comfortable with admitting to. In fact, few of us who answer to the call of being "middle class" would be happy admitting that we enjoyed the expressions of complex sexuality that are displayed in this (slightly)over the (middle class) edge classic.

This is great and timeless fantasy erotica with a challenging and stimulating BDSM twist.

Get it, enjoy it, ... and apply its physical and, most of all, its emotional lessons - or should that be lesions!

Come one, come all, together again and again!

But get a good whip!

Story of "O", the acknowledged all-time BDSM classic, could only have been made in France, where romance and sexuality have been preserved and celebrated. The fact that in the quarter-century since it was produced nothing has supplanted it, is both a testimony to its staying power and a sad commentary on the lack of quality material in the adult (not porno) genre.

A must see for anyone curious about leaving the narrow boundaries that define "vanilla" sexuality or who already participate in such activity, but have yet to view it.

This film has nothing to do with humiliation and pornography. This film is about love, but its also a tribute to the sweet art of sexual mind games. The Story of O explores a wide range of sexual fantasies and they must be understood as fantasies and nothing else. The author does not want you to think that any of this actually happened other than in her mind, and now it can happen in yours. For those of you who want to investigate your own mind and are not afraid to ask yourself some uncomfortable questions about your own sexuality will grow with this film. For those of you who does not want any of this, you can just sit back and enjoy some true exciting erotica. I recommend this to anyone, as long as you keep an open mind and do not expect some mindless porn flick, because this is everything but that.

For years I have been awaiting this historic, well made erotic classic to be released on DVD. I have already pre-ordered this DVD, based on the Laser Disc copy I already own. I am hopeful this DVD transfer will be an improvement to my laser disc copy. While not meant to be pornographic, this film is not for the sexually unsophisticated. While watching this beautifully filmed Just Jaeckin (Emmanuel) directed, all time erotic classic, remind yourself that a woman wrote the story. The actress playing O is magnificent. She captures all the erotic tension necessary to make this story believable. I can not recommend this film enough to anyone who is looking for a style of Euro-erotic filmaking that is no longer being made. There are many other 1970's era films that approach this films quality, such as Emmanuel, The Image, Lady Chatterley's Lover, but none quite as powerful, or as "classy" as, "The Story of O...

The DVD offers three different language choices: the original French track, a dubbed English version, and a dubbed Spanish version. However, with the French version, no subtitles are offered. Just a note for those wishing to purchase this DVD.

I was barely 19 and very naive the first time I saw this film - I was shocked. At first, it seemed to be the chronicle of the debasement and objectifying of the woman, O, by her lover. As the story went on, she triumphed by transforming submissiveness into receptiveness, and gains the somewhat grudging respect of her lover/master figure, who begins to see her as an human being worthy of being won. When I could think of what I'd seen, I was disturbed, but intrigued.

I saw it again 20 years later and was blown away - taken on the surface it is still disturbing, but there is a tremendous power in how O copes with, and begins to influence the outcome of her circumstances. If you can watch with an open mind, this film is a treasure.

I have not yet read the originating novel, but I have just finished watching this movie for the second time. I was renting it. Now I'm going to buy it - one of very few, as I almost never buy movies.

I must say that I found much more in it the second time. The first time not only did the physical and emotional whippings disturb me but, just as much, O's willing apparent debasement and her masters' disregard for her feelings - they only seemed to care about her obedience. This is an anti-turnon for me. The sex scenes are not really convincing, nor are the whippings. I realized that I, as audience, was not being asked to accept that much pain or that much pleasure from either.

The male characters are much more flat than the female ones, particularly O, as if they really didn't count. And there was something in this most beautiful woman's portrayal which left me thinking it wasn't at all simple.

Bottom line, it is abundantly clear that this is far, far more than an S&M movie, nor is it about bondage, submission and domination, or any other kind of sexual perversion or obsession.

Some phrases stuck out to me, although I'm not sure I'm quoting exactly accurately. The narrator said the O loved everything and everyone that came to her because it came to her by request from her lover. She said that O knew that if she lasted to the end that all would be given to her. O's apparent peace of mind about everything that happened to her simply didn't gybe with a debasement/submissive/sexual perversion sort of story. She definitely does not come across as sick. She, at times, was as deeply terrified or ashamed as any normal woman would be in the circumstances and yet continued freely to accept the demands of obedience to those who loved her and those who didn't. I was puzzled at how easily she accepted that Rene was no longer her lover, and continued to do exactly the same thing with Sir Stefan. All of this indicated that something much deeper than anything relatively superficial about perversion, infatuation, and so-on was going on. It made far too deep an impression the first time I saw the movie, even without understanding it. It made me think that it was, as another reviewer mentioned, hitting some archetypes, and something deep in the human spirit.

I began to think of the whole story as an extended metaphor about the demands and rewards of love. When we love, we willingly go through hell for the sake of love -- not just for the sake of the lover. The love relationship places heavy demands of obedience on us. It whips us and debases us -- love and its intimacy always find our weaknesses, and their exposure makes us feel naked, beaten and debased. But love always allows us the freedom to opt out, as did O's lovers and masters. And something deep within us always knows that, if we succumb to the abasement we may feel, and accept the beating our feelings take, that love, real human love, marks us forever as O was marked, and enbles us to love and be loved fully and deeply, and gives us peace -- indeed, it grants us everything. O shows us how wonderful it can become if we are not overly defensive about our selves in the service of love.

The movie itself does not look as dated as you would think for a 1974 movie -- actually, not at all. The color is a little unsaturated compared to the kind of color we have today, and this contributes to the fantasy that is clearly being spun. I happen to enjoy naked women a lot, and there are a lot of them in this movie, fully frontal, more than a glimpse, naked and unashamed. There are few scenes that are fully clothed for very long. I thought all were beautiful women, self-possessed, graceful, fully feminine and sensual without being affected.

The two brief closeup shots of "female genitalia", as one reviewer put it, (although he apparently didn't even notice them), are exquisitely done - just close enough, just long enough, just modest enough, just open enough.

There is a visual potpourri of modern day (for 1974), turn-of-the-century wealth and romanticism, and even some medieval castles and costumes. The only thing that bothered me even temporarily was Sir Stefan's overly-coiffed hairdo, but it didn't take long to get past it. It's a legitimate part of his character.

And the best comment of all came from my wife when the movie was over. And I hasten to add that there are absolutely no submissive or dominative tendencies in her at all. She said, "Wierd. Wow. That's one very sexy movie".

One of the few films that seriously explores the joys of watching one's wife/lover making love to another man. "O" loses herself in the depths of sexual surrender, thus finding herself in the process. She discovers total submission, not just to one man, but to many. Eventually she finds that she loves being taken at will by whomever chooses her. Her lover discovers the ultimate generosity of holding her hand as she is taken by her new master.

Much more than just an adult movie, this film beautfully explores the depths of human sexuality and the unique joys of dominance and submission.

I first saw this film at the Old Santurce Paramount theater when it was first released in the 1970's. I was about 15 then and I was bored to death. Still I was curious to see how the movie would look to me today as a 41 year old. Well, it didn't bore me a at all. I found it to be a sexy, intelligent movie, much better than all the "Emmanuelle" movies of the era. The movie tries to say something about human relationships, something the Cinemax soft core movies of today avoid altogether.

As for the cast Corinne Clery is jaw droppingly beautiful and Udo Kier is his usually strange self. The photography is excellent. I just wished there would have been more extras such as a commentary by someone such as Tim Lucas. Still this movie is worth a second look and will be a good addition to any erotic film fan's DVD library.