Director – Jess Franco (Vampire Killer Barbys, Oasis of the Zombies)
Starring – Lina Romay (Female Vampire, Barbed Wire Dolls), Monica Swinn (Hitler’s Last Train, The Duke of Burgundy), and Raymond Hardy (Midnight Party, White Cannibal Queen)
Release Date – 1976
Rating – 3/5
My Jess Franco sleazy triple feature has finally came to a close. Not long ago I ventured in Jess Franco country where the women stay nude, the men stay loose, and the stories have no purpose. The first in this quick little triple feature was Women in Cellblock 9 which was a huge disappointment. I did not care for the film.
The second was Love Camp and was an improvement. It wasn’t anything special but still offered up some entertaining moments. The third and final film in my Jess Franco triple feature was Marquise De Sade, aka Die Marquise Von Sade. This film takes the sleaze up to a whole new level while delivering a rather unconventional story that will leave the viewer guessing. Once again I want to thank my friends over at Full Moon for sending this one my way.
**Spoiler Alert**The film follows a beautiful young woman who lives alone in a villa who has a twin that is locked away in an asylum. The sister in the villa has it all; she is well off financially, her surroundings are beautiful but she can’t have one thing…an orgasm. However, her sister is troubled. She constantly craves attention and is insatiable. When a female reporter shows up to write a piece on the sister in the villa and feminism but what she learns is something a little more about herself and her sexual desires.**Spoiler Alert**
Jess Franco is truly a diverse filmmaker. You never know what he is going to throw at you next. Is the film going to be a true definition of exploitation, a sleazy masterpiece, a film with no story, or, in this case, a sexploitation flick? Marquise De Sadewas not the film I was expecting and that’s a good thing.
The acting in this one is a little inconsistent. The cast is acting in an adult film first and foremost but some of the scenes are awkward to watch. The sex scenes are explosive but the scenes with dialogue does fill a little drawn out. The cast needed more time to rehearse and find their characters.
The story for this one is actually pretty fucking entertaining and clever. Especially when you put it in context of an adult film. It is a little confusing having the same actress play the twins because you never know where we are in the store. Placing a wig on one of the “sisters” would have easily fixed this. Some of the scenes are painfully slow to watch while others were fun but that is standard with any sexploitation flick.
Finally, this is not one for blood and gore. Instead, this is a showcase of flesh and erotic desire. Overall, Marquise De Sade is one of the finer pieces of sleazy cinema. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to any exploitation or sleazy movie fan. Check it out.
