The Image
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Movie Reviews of The Image
Movie Review: The Dynamics of Power & Submission
Summary: 4 Stars
This film is not about sex necessarily, although it has an arousing quality. It is more about the allure, pleasure, and passion of domination, submission, and power. These things are not always as they seem--sometimes, those in power are those who submit or appear to be "bottoms." The portrayal of Anne by Mary Mendum is quite moving. Her ability to appear serene and other worldly as she submits to violence and painful acts upon her body is profound and sometimes spooky. Her performance has a strength that captures both woman and girl, both powerful and vulernabilty. In fact, she is the most interesting character and position in this storyline--as she occupies different spaces of power while appearing submissive. Some of the imagery is a little too overtly phallic and swank for me, perhaps a relic of time--water shooting off, towers titled and erect, swinging tunes, and then there's Jean who is just not convincing to me. Spoiler: And it is apparent early on that Anne has actually granted him power over her, which is again demonstrated in the end when she clobbers him with a bottle. The dressing room detail would have been a little more interesting had the clerk been a young man. I would have liked to see Jean and Anne master that situation much better than another young woman. Claire is an extremely fragile character and feels important and fulfilled only through her relationship of power "over." She tests her appeal by including her nude photo in with Anne's and then does not claim it as her own. She seems to constantly be seeking sexual approval and rejecting it before she can be rejected. And then when Anne leaves her, she does not know what to do. It is this loss, this emptiness and uncertainty that drives her Jean, not the power of his "golden phallis." Such a complex film. Riveting and moving. A must see for anyone who is interested in experiencing BDSM and relationships of power/dom/sub. Not fluff. And please be careful to keep from children's viewing--it is very graphic and could be quite disturbing for people who do not enjoy or want to investigate watersports, graphic bondage, and all of the aforementioned power structures.Movie Review: The Punishment of Anne
Summary: 4 Stars
The Image, also called The Punishment of Anne is widely regarded by people on the Internet as Radley Metzger's best movie. I agree with that assessment. He is an interesting director whose characters are always intelligent people who outwardly lead normal lives in society while privately pursuing out of the ordinary sex lives, such as libertines, S&M, homosexuality, especially lesbianism, prostitution, and so on. If memory serves correctly all of his movies take place in racy locations such as Europe or South America. In other words he isn't doing Desire Under the Elms or something in a sleepy rural community. It's always in a castle, or penthouse, or mansion, or beach house, etc. All of his movies could be considered art movies that are not intended for a general audience. This particular movie involves lesbianism, S&M, humiliation, dominance/submission by well-to-do people in contemporary Paris. It is a VERY faithful adaptation of the book of the same name by Jean de Berg. A thirty something male author attends a party at a socialite's house in Paris where he encounters an old friend, a woman his own age from his upscale social class (she has a Wellesley accent by the way), who is showing off her new pet. Anne, a very beautiful young blonde woman is completely under the older woman's spell and will do anything to prove it. Our hero is then invited into their world for a series of mind games, etc. divided into episodes that take place in different locations, sometimes in public, sometimes behind closed doors over a period of weeks I believe. Like all of Metzger's movies it is very well made and very beautiful. I liked the book and the movie as well. If you are interested in this kind of subject material you'll like this movie.Movie Review: sweet,tart and naughtily delicious
Summary: 4 Stars
i must admit,i was very surprised at the quality of the acting and photography.all the scenes are beautifully lit.the way i was drawn into the film made me feel almost as though i was secretly watching the action live.
all the characters are very attractive and convincing in their roles.the scenes of s&m are excruciating and at the same time,softly seductive.the young woman,anne,is very beautiful and seemingly vulnerable.she is a true submissive and undergoes harsh discipline and humiliation with haunting realism.this is just a movie,yet,it is so convincing.there is one scene set
in a public garden in paris,france,the location of the film,that is so well
done that i found myself fully aroused . while the sex in the fim is is fairly graphic,it is done in a very honest and realistic way. that is what
makes is so good.i would not call it "hardcore",or "softcore" porn.i would
say it is a damned sexy film.well done.
Movie Review: Radley Metzger at his best.
Summary: 4 Stars
It's a good thing the batteries in my smoke detector are dead cause this movie would've set it off!
In the swanky part of Paris a man attending a fancy snob party runs into his ex-wife who oddly enough is accompanied by her young, hot blonde slave girl. His ex-wife invites him to join them and over the next month or two they subject the girl to all kinds of punishments, humiliations and pleasures including: public urination, beatings, poking with hot needles, object insertions, bathing and lots of sex.
Told in the sensual, classy, and artistic Metzger style that we all love I'd say this is the best Metzger movie I've ever seen.
Rebecca Brooke who played the slave was hot, but the lady who played the ex-wife, while energetic, did absolutely nothing for me. Needs to be remade with Jenna Jameson and Brittany Daniel. Oh! I got lightheaded just thinking about that.
Movie Review: The Image DVD
Summary: 4 Stars
Finally, an erotic movie that in fact is erotic. This DVD version is transfered in Wide Screen Format which greatly enhances the visual quaility of this movie. Shot in Paris as the movies background only furthers the movies playfulness between public and private sexual tension. Like "The Story of O" movies of this period explore sexual tensions between men and women that are no longer explored due to the movie rating system of today. By today's standards you couldn't make a movie like this today because it would be tagged with a NC-17 rating and would be the death of a movie like this. A movie like this comes by once in a great while.