(170) TORTURE GARDEN (1976) Cruel tradition of DeSade
6064DVD
original
French title LE JARDIN DES SUPPLICES [The Garden of Torture]
director: Christian Gion
starring: Roger Van Hool · Jacqueline
Kerry
· Tony Taffin
· Isabelle LeCamp
In the
1930s, a young doctor is forced to flee Paris after a drug scandal. While
sailing on a ship to China, Dr Antoine meets a beautiful but eccentric
woman named Clara. After arrival in Canton, she introduces him to a circle
of decadent Europeans and their sadistic games in the torture garden.
This film is based
on 1899's forbidden book by noted libertarian Octave Mirbeau, with the
action moved to the early 20th century against the elusive backdrop of
the World War. Producer Vera Belmont hired Pierre Alain Jolivet [director
of PUNISHMENT]
to ride helm but then decided his sledgehammer filming technique was wrong
for the production. Jolivet was replaced by the more experienced director
Christian Gion who had recently found success with a transsexual/prostitution
film called Superwoman. But for the new project, Christian
doubles-down on the heavy black atmosphere of moral decadence - painting
a crumbling colonialist world obscured by visceral perversities - arguably,
not the libertine vision of Mirbeau's book.
A French
film with English subtitles; widescreen format,
uncut 94 minutes, DVD encoded for ALL REGION NTSC WORLD FORMAT.
Extras include theatrical trailers.
Violence/S&M/Rape/Nudity/Drugs/Adult
Material:
Intended for Mature Audiences