User Reviews

Finally, I managed to watch what many consider to be Franco's masterpiece and I must say that I pretty much agree with this opinion.

So far, the only Franco films I have watched date from 1965 to 1971 which means that I have barely scratched the surface as Franco's career can be divided into various phases, all of which are very different from one another but which would seem to be equally important to a full understanding of his oeuvre. In any case, among the films I have watched are some of his finest work in which Franco effortlessly creates a perverse yet captivating world where too often sex and violence dominate and which come to irrevocably influence the life of their protagonist. Also, all of the films I have watched so far are relatively slick (if obviously created on a low budget) with an eye for attractive locations, equally beautiful women, and generally 'respectable' casts – all in all, very typical of their time, especially with regards to European cinema.

More than anything, VENUS IN FURS is somewhat similar to Franco's SUCCUBUS (1967) but here, for the most part, the director forgoes the pretentiousness that marked that earlier film in favor of a more intimate (if still basically fantastical) story and he even manages to create some genuinely interesting characters. This is Franco at his best: apart from the stylish 'look' of the film, his direction is extremely confident and efficient, the result being any number of effective (and often memorable) scenes.

I have come upon some quite severe criticism as to the film's hip (for the time) 'beatnik' dialogue. While certain lines do come off as unintentionally amusing, I think this putdown is somewhat exaggerated; somehow, the anachronistic dialogue fits the mood of the picture perfectly which, being for the most part a series of monologues by the main character (played by James Darren), seems to be drawing more from 1940s film-noirs (the ramshackle variety, like Edgar G. Ulmer's DETOUR [1945]) than making a deliberate attempt to capture the truth of the 'moment' (and that this aspect was, then, merely 'inserted' into the script for purely commercial reasons)!

Despite its introspective nature, the film moves at a fair clip throughout and very rarely loses its footing – that is, until the rather confusing and abrupt finale (more about this later). The camera-work here is quite flashy (another remnant from the late 1960s), though I feel it to be entirely appropriate in this case. Ellipses, juxtaposition of images, negative-printing, out-of-focus shots and slow motion are freely used throughout, but this actually encourages our identification with the main characters (Darren and Maria Rohm, the 'Venus' of the title), as we are made to 'feel' their disorientation and the impending fate of their impossible relationship!

I think that, perhaps more than in any other Franco film I've seen, the music score for VENUS IN FURS – a heady fusion of jazz and pop – is a key contributor to the film's overall accomplishment (which is saying something)! I may be wrong about this, but I had a feeling that the entire film was somehow conceived around the rhythm of the Manfred Mann/Mike Hugg soundtrack; its style of editing, in particular, seems to be uncannily in tune with the music's frequent changes of tempo!

The casting of the principal actors would seem to be unlikely at first glance but soon we begin to realize how perfectly suited they are to the film's generally offbeat tone: Maria Rohm is appropriately enigmatic as the unwilling 'Angel Of Death' (another reference to SUCCUBUS), though I might still prefer her decidedly more 'human' turn in EUGENIE…THE STORY OF HER JOURNEY INTO PERVERSION (1969); James Darren, seldom used properly, here makes for a compelling screen hero so much so that, by the end of it, I could not envisage any other actor in the role; Barbara McNair as Darren's secondary love interest in the film comes off as something of an intrusion at first but, faced with a fuller understanding of his obsession with Wanda Reed/Maria Rohm, her character suddenly comes alive and McNair manages to be quite effective in portraying this difficult aspect of her role (of course, she just shines in her two musical performances in the film); Margaret Lee is beautiful and very moving as the lesbian fashion photographer whose pangs of conscience over the death of Wanda Reed are all too apparent; Klaus Kinski's brief appearance is given a slight edge by having Franco concentrate (almost to the point of obsession!) on his face, as the numerous close-ups throughout the course of the film will attest; Dennis Price, here in the twilight of his mostly disappointing screen career, seems to be slightly bemused by all of this (the first of 5 films he made for Franco) but his unusual death scene is undeniably one of the highlights of VENUS IN FURS; Paul Muller is once again saddled with an insignificant role, yet he still manages to effortlessly put some color into his portrayal of the typically 'decadent' bourgeois.

Among the film's memorable moments: Darren's discovery of Rohm's mutilated body (which becomes a recurring motif throughout the film); Wanda Reed's bizarre rape/murder (especially the sight of Margaret Lee sadistically whipping Rohm's fragile body); Price's demise at the hands of Rohm, as I already mentioned, involving the girl's mirrored reflection as she strikes a number of sensuous but apparently deadly poses; the lesbian scenes between Rohm and Lee, which are sensitively handled by Franco, leading to the former's bloody bath-tub suicide; Kinski's recounting of the sado-masochistic tale (the only direct allusion to Leopold von Sacher-Masoch's novel 'Venus In Furs'); the last 15 cryptic minutes of the film when it seems to go completely off-the-rails: what was that re-enactment of the rape sequence – in an entirely different setting! – all about? Does James Darren's own body washing up ashore (discovered by himself no less!) mean that he too is already dead? If so, how and when did he die?

The VHS copy which served as my introduction to VENUS IN FURS was fairly satisfactory in the video/audio stakes, indeed surprisingly so. I'm not sure what the film's OAR is supposed to be, but its compositions did not seem to be greatly compromised in this full-frame version. Similarly, the dubbing is quite acceptable and, in any case, most of the dialogue is thankfully left to the likes of James Darren and Barbara McNair.

Well, all that we need now is a 'Special Edition' DVD from Artisan – along with the rest of their Franco catalogue. I wouldn't bet on it for the present time (particularly in view of their notoriously hit-and-miss record), but they only have to take a good look around them to see the stellar work companies like Blue Underground, Image, Mondo Macabro and Synapse have been doing these last few years, which has definitely led to a re-appraisal of sorts for the past work of this important yet maligned cult film-maker!

Jess Franco's "Venus In Furs" (1970) is a strange, trippy mood piece of a film that is a bit difficult for me to write about, for the simple reason that I'm not quite sure I totally understood it. On the surface, the picture seems to be about a jazz trumpeter played by James Darren, who finds the body of a beautiful blonde on an Istanbul beach. Months later, the same woman walks into a club in Rio where Darren is playing, seemingly back from the dead, and apparently seeking vengeance on the two men and one woman responsible for her killing. But then comes a twist ending that throws all the viewer's ideas of what might have been going on into the proverbial cocked hat.... But a clear-cut story line really isn't what this film's thrust is all about anyway. This picture is quite unlike anything I've ever seen; a totally sui generis experience. Franco's direction, the bizarre editing, the use of multicolored filters and smeared camera lenses, the oftentimes outre score by Manfred Mann, the lack of synchronized sound, and the dreamy acting styles all combine to make for one truly surreal ride. Indeed, Darren seems more spatially and temporally displaced here than he did in TV's "Time Tunnel," if that's possible! The film also boasts beautiful location shooting; fine support by Klaus Kinski, Dennis Price, Barbara McNair and, as the ghostly "Venus," the lovely Maria Rohm; and some exceptionally good jazz. Ultimately, though, the picture is a real head scratcher (a second viewing left me even more confused than the first!), and can justifiably be accused of having more style than substance. But man, what style! Oh...and a great-looking DVD has been provided from the good folks at Blue Underground, loaded with very fine extras, too.

I happened to catch this movie recently on TCM (unedited).

Let's cut to the chase folks, it's a bad movie. There's just no getting around it.

It's also high camp. Sooooo, my gut says, that a bunch of friends, with plenty of booze at the ready would have a hoot watching this late 60's flick.

There's hardly any real dialog in the movie; it's mostly narration by James Darren (the male lead in the film).

Why Kluas Kinski even bothered to appear in this movie is beyond me since his role is minuscule. I suspect it was a paycheck & the opportunity to work with undressed ladies.

The movie has lots of scenes that are bathed in day-glo colors, lots of female skin and scenes that just won't end.

But it is true to it's kitschy self, complete with its supposed shocker ending.

Again, if you love kitsch & that whole late 60's early 70's drug/sex LSD trip kind of vibe, you'll probably get a good laugh of this really bad movie.

I will immediately qualify the lead by adding that "Venus In Furs" is definitely not for everyone, or even most people. But it shows what Franco could do when he took his time and did things right.

Franco did something like 180 films, and some of them were just plain awful ("Oasis Of Zombies" and "Castle Of Fu Manchu" come to mind) and yet you can admire his devotion to a certain level and style of movie making. And "Venus In Furs" shows off just about every preoccupation he has, and all his favorite gimmicks and tropes in one spot, along with a couple of strong performances and a plot with a central mystery which mostly justifies all the various fetishes and perversions on display. There's even a little bit of actual human emotion and tragedy to be seen, mostly with the black female jazz singer and her protracted anguish over losing her lover to implacable, mysterious forces that no decent human could outwit or outmaneuver.

The jazz soundtrack adds a lot to the atmosphere as well - integrated believably into the structure of events because the protagonist is a jazz trumpet player and a lot of the scenes are "live performance" scenes in various smoky cabarets and after-hours clubs. It's way, way better than a typical cheap giallo's habit of playing funky jazz numbers that seem to have no bearing on anything happening on screen.

So - well thought out, very "organic" in feel and plot structure, some interesting looking actors and strong performances, and a lot of heady atmosphere. But on the other hand, it's about a sexually obsessed young man and a mostly naked woman and the way she seduces and kills the perverts who murdered her. So, you, know..."She Kills In Ecstasy" with a supernatural bent.

If that appeals to you, or you really like Franco and you haven't seen this yet - have at it.

Jimmy Logan (James Darren of "Gidget" and TJ Hooker fame) digs his horn back up (which is deeply symbolic, trust me), then spots a dead woman. He seems to vaguely remember her and flashes back to when he first saw Wanda Reed. He jets to Rio in order to forget about how Wanda was raped and killed, only to find her inexplicably in Rio. The ending is no big surprise as Franco throws hint after hint at the viewer. "The Sixth Sense" this is NOT. However, this is Franco's most accessible and coherent film, while still maintaining the dream-like quality that can be found, albeit in varying degrees, in much of his other work. And while I hesitate to say this is Jess Franco's best film, it IS up there. All the actors give good performances and the film keeps you interested.Plus you get to see Manfred Mann in an ultra-rare movie cameo. But I NEVER want to hear that damn repetitive theme song ever again.

My Grade: C

DVD Extras: Interview with Jess Franco; Audio interview with Maria Rohm; poster and Still galleries; and Theatrical Trailer

Eye Candy: Maria Rohm gets topless on several occasions; Margaret Lee shows her bum; and various extras get topless

No doubt in Spain the name Jesús Franco is a perfectly normal one, no stranger than, say, Harry Brown or Jack Robinson would be to us, but to English eyes the combination of the name of the Son of God with that of a notorious dictator seems rather disconcerting. Senor Franco may have realised this, because for English-speaking audiences he dropped the second vowel from his Christian name, becoming simply "Jess". His supernatural and erotic thrillers from the sixties and seventies have won him a reputation in some circles as a cult director, but to my mind he has always seemed a classic example of the talentless hack director who suffers from delusions of grandeur and imagines himself a great auteur.

The original novel "Venus in Furs" was published in1870 by the Austrian writer Leopold von Sacher Masoch, the man who gave his name to masochism, but apart from the title, the name of the heroine (Wanda) and her love of wearing fur coats (and very little else) there is very little connection between the novel and the film. Sacher Masoch's name does not appear in the credits, which state that the script is "from a story by Jess Franco".

The hero of the original book was named Severin, but here, more prosaically, he becomes Jimmy. The film opens with Jimmy, a young jazz musician, wandering along a beach near Istanbul, where he discovers the dead body of a young woman washed up on the beach, and realises with a shock that the corpse is that of his girlfriend Wanda. The body appears to have been mutilated, but no precise information is given as to how she died.

In fact, the film does not really give us any precise information about anything. From Istanbul Jimmy travels to Rio de Janeiro where he finds Wanda alive and well, but the causes of her sudden return to life remain even more mysterious than the causes of her death. The one clue is given in the film's Italian title, "Puo una morta rivivere per amore?"- "Can a dead woman return to life through love?" (This is officially an Italian film, even though the dialogue is in English). Jimmy revives his relationship with Wanda, much to the discomfiture of his new girlfriend Rita. I mean, sharing your boyfriend with another woman is one thing, but sharing him with a reanimated corpse quite another.

Trying to summarise the plot any further would be a vain enterprise, as this is the sort of film which generally avoids plot altogether. The rest of the film is generally taken up with various love scenes involving either Wanda or another mysterious fur-clad beauty named Olga. It ends with Jimmy returning to Istanbul, wandering along the same beach and discovering Wanda's corpse for the second time. The sex-scenes are fairly tame by modern standards, but in 1969 sex-scenes of any description were something of a novelty so they were probably well- received by audiences of the day.

None of the cast made any impression, except for the wrong reasons. Maria Rohm as Wanda has something of the look of a porcelain doll, and about as much acting ability. She was so wooden that I wondered if Franco had instructed her to play the role in a deliberately emotionless way. James Darren as Jimmy is no better, although I was surprised to see Dennis Price among the cast-list. In the 1940s Price was one of the rising stars of the British cinema, especially after his starring role in Robert Hamer's great comedy "Kind Hearts and Coronets", but his career went into something of a decline in the sixties, largely due to problems in his personal life, and he ended up acting in some rather unsuitable films, especially low-budget horror. I never realised, however, that he declined quite as far as this.

There is no real reason for the action to take place in Istanbul or Rio- none of the characters are Turkish or Brazilian- but Franco doubtless fancied a trip to somewhere exotic. Some of the shots of the two cities are quite attractive, but in general the photography is highly eccentric, Franco making the maximum use of such devices as shaky hand- held cameras, blurry soft-focus and colour filters. Some of these devices can, in other hands, be effective, but here they only give an overall impression of ineptitude and of a director desperately trying to show off his cleverness while betraying his lack of it. I came very close to awarding this film the ultimate insult of a 1/10 mark; I only refrained because I normally reserve that for films which fall into the "so bad it's funny" category. "Venus in Furs" never quite sinks that low- it's more a question of "so bad it's boring"- but it did nothing to change my impression that Franco was the man who tried to do to the European film industry what his infamous namesake did to Spanish democracy. 2/10

Spoiler alert: in the very first scene, the narrator tells us that he is either already dead or going mad. You don't have to watch the entire movie to know that he's right.

Jess Franco is particularly bad here. Starting with the script which is pointless. He crams in so many camera effects. Some of them give a nice dream-like quality - but his everything and the kitchen sink strategy is not much of a strategy. The constant overdub of the narrator is awful. The film never really finds a groove because the narrator is constantly interrupting the flow.

The strongest points here are the acting and the soundtrack. Both are much better than the average Jess Franco film... this makes the pointless quality of the film even more unforgivable because he could have told an actual story with some of the talent here. Skip this one.

Paroxismus is set in the late 60's & starts in Istanbul where jazz trumpeter Jimmy Logan (James Darren) is walking on a beach when he finds the washed up body of a young blonde woman on the sand. Jimmy becomes confused, he recognises the woman as a Wanda Reed (Maria Rohm) whom he briefly met the previous night at a party held by playboy millionaire Ahmed Kortobawi (Klaus Kinski), Jimmy also remembers that he witnessed Ahmed & two of his friends attack & murder Wanda. Confused & scared Jimmy leaves Istanbul & heads for the carnivals of Rio where he meets jazz singer Rita (Barbara McNair) & surprisingly meets Wanda again despite her seemingly being dead. It seems that Wanda may have come back from the dead to avenge herself & punish those responsible for her own murder...

This English, German & Italian co-production is known under various titles with the US retitling Venus in Furs the most common although hack Spanish director Jesus Franco originally wanted to call it Black Angel, despite bearing the Venus in Furs title this has absolutely nothing to do with the infamous novel by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch of the same name. Franco was apparently inspired to make Paroximus after a conversation with jazz musician Chet Baker, whoever he is. I will be honest straight away & say that I think Jesus Franco is possibly the worst filmmaker in cinematic history so maybe I am a little bit biased, generally speaking I hate his films & his dull cheap looking amateurish style but having said that I realise he does have fans & they consider Paroximus as one of his better efforts for some reason. Basically I thought it was complete crap from start to finish, it makes absolutely no sense & the sense of surrealism & symbolism that Franco was obviously aiming for ends up making the film incomprehensible & a chore to sit through. Nothing here makes any sense, sure maybe that's what Franco set out to achieve but I just couldn't get into it & felt it was a total mess of badly shot arty surrealism & supernatural ghost story with a hint of musical & soft core porn thrown in to muddy the waters even further. There's also a really strange twists ending that makes no sense & just left me frustrated & annoyed that I had bothered to watch the thing. Paroximus really is a terrible film, Franco does it again with yet another worthless 90 odd minutes.

Franco is a such a limited & talentless filmmaker that when he tries to shoot scenes in an interesting & artistic way that symbolize something they just look cheap, lots of random shots of beaches, the sea crashing against rocks, random stock footage of carnivals, various buildings in Istanbul & an apparent liking of the colour red amount to absolutely nothing. There are various uses of slow motion for no reason & the final few minutes are tinted various colours which just looks awful & will have you questioning whether your telly is broken. Even Franco's usual sleaze is absent, apart from a little bit of nudity & a few drops of blood there really isn't anything here of note. Paroximus also features possibly the worst car chase in cinematic history. When over half the film are close-ups of people or random buildings then you know your in trouble, quite simply Franco is not creating atmosphere or drama or a sense of surrealism he is merely trying to waste time with (dull) padding, this film really has nothing to say or has any sort of coherent meaning.

Probably shot on the sort of budget that wouldn't buy a round in your local pub these days the colour photography is alright & it's slightly better made than most of Franco's output, apparently shot in Istanbul. The acting isn't the best although to be fair I am sure English dubbing doesn't help matters. Klaus Kinski turns up in a small role while Franco regular Dennis Price is also here & gets an unintentionally funny death scene.

Paroximus or Venus in Furs or under whatever title is yet another crap Franco film shot on a shoestring, I just don't understand the guy or why he has any fans at all. His films are just universally terrible & Paroximus is a case in point, surreal & meaningless tripe.