Otherwise known as 'But Who Raped Linda', this Jess Franco directed film is a joy. If you like Franco, that is. Marie-France (Alice Arno) accepts a job at the estate of an eccentric family. There, she meets Olivia Steiner (Lina Romay, who I don't think has ever looked more sultry), hunky dim-witted houseboy Abdul (Pierre Taylou), father Paul Steiner (Paul Muller) and invalid Linda (Verónica Llimerá). Their estate is situated amidst some truly breath-taking locations and surroundings and as ever, Franco takes full advantage of this, making this a most attractive production.
Of course the plot meanders, and many scenes play without dialogue. Of course the camera takes on a life of its own and explores obscure bits of the scenery and location, zooming and soft-focusing. Of course there are, as the title would suggest, plenty of skin and sex scenes, but Franco holds back from the really intrusive shots he sometimes finds it impossible to resist. So what we have here are scenes that have an erotic charge, rather than having to balk at their explicitness. This helps the mood remain titillating rather than 'full on', and enhances, rather than hinders, the overall dream-like atmosphere. There is no-one, no-one at all, that can eat a banana like Lina Romay.
Great attention is paid to Lina's eyes. Often the camera will linger on a close-up of her magnificent stare - the top half of her face will fill the screen. In fact, there is much focus on the eyes of other cast members too.
To break, or balance out, the mood, we're also asked to tolerate the antics of a pair of comedy journalists who are observing the family and their increasingly dark business ("What? You're crazy! Ooh, my back," is dubbed dialogue unlikely to have anyone rolling in the aisles). Truth is, alongside the restraint shown with sex, there is a disappointing lack of virtually any gore.
The other 'disappointment' (I use quotation marks because Franco's films are so devoid of rules that anyone else's disappointment is entirely due to their own expectations - nothing to do with the director) is the finale which could well be considered anti-climactic. But then, to close the film in a way that makes any kind of sense of the ongoing dream-scape that makes up the running time would never do it justice.
Of course the plot meanders, and many scenes play without dialogue. Of course the camera takes on a life of its own and explores obscure bits of the scenery and location, zooming and soft-focusing. Of course there are, as the title would suggest, plenty of skin and sex scenes, but Franco holds back from the really intrusive shots he sometimes finds it impossible to resist. So what we have here are scenes that have an erotic charge, rather than having to balk at their explicitness. This helps the mood remain titillating rather than 'full on', and enhances, rather than hinders, the overall dream-like atmosphere. There is no-one, no-one at all, that can eat a banana like Lina Romay.
Great attention is paid to Lina's eyes. Often the camera will linger on a close-up of her magnificent stare - the top half of her face will fill the screen. In fact, there is much focus on the eyes of other cast members too.
To break, or balance out, the mood, we're also asked to tolerate the antics of a pair of comedy journalists who are observing the family and their increasingly dark business ("What? You're crazy! Ooh, my back," is dubbed dialogue unlikely to have anyone rolling in the aisles). Truth is, alongside the restraint shown with sex, there is a disappointing lack of virtually any gore.
The other 'disappointment' (I use quotation marks because Franco's films are so devoid of rules that anyone else's disappointment is entirely due to their own expectations - nothing to do with the director) is the finale which could well be considered anti-climactic. But then, to close the film in a way that makes any kind of sense of the ongoing dream-scape that makes up the running time would never do it justice.