Venus in Furs
Review: A beautiful woman comes back from the dead to take revenge on those who killed her by seducing them and then killing them. It sounds like a perfect opportunity for sex and violence intertwined, but this film is surprisingly tame in this regard. However, it is loaded with imagery and deeper meanings that most films from this genre lack, and is one of Jess Franco’s most beautifully shot films. The film follows a trumpeter named Jimmy (James Darren) who discovers the naked body of a woman on a beach in Istanbul which brings back memories he has of seeing her killed. Later while playing at a club in Rio, Jimmy sees the woman, Wanda Reed (Maria Rohm), emerge as an angel of death to put things right. Instantly he feels a connection to her and becomes obsessed, initiating a romance as she carries out her task. Unlike many of director Franco’s other films, here he takes much more care in creating an artistic exploration of desire, fear, and sanity with beautifully shot (considering the budget) beaches. There is far more focus on the internal struggles of the characters, especially Jimmy who despite Darren’s best efforts, is just too complex a character for the actor. The narration helps to explain what he is thinking and feeling, but while the ideas in the film are well conceived, the dialogue and narration are at times poorly written. Of the actors, Klaus Kinski as the leader of the trio of killers is just as creepy as he always is, especially when he says nothing. His stare is the best part of the film. "There is also a definite lack of blood, instead employing tension and fear as the methods of violence." The editing definitely deserves a mention with numerous scenes intercut with recurring images of waves crashing, hawks flying, and many more. Whether or not these are effective is subjective; to some it may be artsy pretentiousness, and to others they will be great metaphors of subtextual meaning. Where the film does fail is on the erotic side of things. Franco is a master at building up the sexual anticipation, but the film never delivers on it. This is never better shown than in the obligatory lesbian scene. Wanda seduces Olga (Margaret Lee) who then sets up a photo shoot with Wanda. But once the sex scene arrives it is almost unwatchable with out of focus close-ups of unrecognisable body parts, and then it is over too soon. There is also a definite lack of blood, instead employing tension and fear as the methods of violence. This fits with the psychological themes of the film, but those in the mood for blood will be disappointed. Venus in Furs has a definite film noir feel to it with a protagonist out of his depth, drawn to a dangerous woman who he cannot resist even though he knows it will end badly. The final 15 or so minutes are where the film really takes the audience to another place, toying with our sanity and reality until the final reveal that only raises more questions. A second viewing is a necessity to find answers. It is trippy and confusing (especially the ending), the pacing is slow at times, the juxtaposition of images can intrude on the real focus of the characters, and the clunky narration is often unintentionally hilarious, but after a second viewing you may begin to see Franco’s vision more clearly and learn that there may be more to him than breasts and violence. More than a typical exploitation flick that it is marketed as, this is really just a low budget very 60s version of a David Lynch nightmare. It is far more intelligent than it should be, but never entirely successful in its execution.
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