Michael_Elliott
Eugenie De Sade (1970) **** (out of 4) One of Jess Franco's best has Soledad Miranda playing the naive Eugenie, a young girl who one day discovers a sexual book that has been hidden by her stepfather Albert (Paul Muller). Soon the two begin a series of murders just for the sake of being able to get away with it and their weird connection eventually leads to a sexual relationship.Based on the work of Marquis de Sade, this film here is without question one of the director's best and there's no doubt that it's the best film that he and Soledad worked together on. While VAMPYROS LESBOS and SHE KILLED IN ECSTACY are much more popular and known films, this weird sexual drama manages so many things and contains such great performances that it's hard to think of the director and star being able to do anything else better. There are certainly some flaws to be found in regards to the plot but the overall weirdness created by Franco is just something rather unique and special in its own way.The film certainly works so well because of the two lead actors. Miranda was always good when she worked with Franco but this here is without question her greatest performance. Her character goes through quite a few awakenings here and I thought the actress perfectly captured all of them. Just look at the opening shot of her when we just see her sitting in a chair. Just the look in her eyes tells us everything we need to know. Whenever it comes time to seduce her father and other victims, the actress pulls this off without a problem. She even has some comic moments here including a striptease sequence. As great as Miranda is, the attention often makes one overlook how great Muller is as well. I really thought he managed to pull off this role and the snake quality he brings really helps the film. This is especially true because you believe that you're watching such a sick person who would plan not only these murders but the seduction of his stepdaughter and another crime that I won't ruin for those who haven't seen the film.Franco's direction is also among the best of his career as he makes the film flow very smoothly. He takes the film from one weird sequence into another and manages to make you like both of these characters no matter how strange and diabolical they are. Another major bonus is the terrific score by Bruno Nicolai, which perfectly captures the innocence of the girl at the start of the film and the weird sexuality she begins to go through. EUGENIE DE SADE features a director at the top of his game, an actress at her very best and a score that just perfectly brings everything together.
jriddle73
Jesus Franco is now a full-fledged cult legend, and EUGENIE DE SADE, from 1970, is one of his absolute best films (and, to be clear on the point, Franco, in spite of what one may hear from his detractors, has a LOT of great work under his belt, and you've never seen one Franco film until you've seen them all).The movie--obsessive, disturbing, and still darkly romantic--is based on "Eugenie de Franval," by the Marquis de Sade, but updated to a modern setting. It tells the story of a very twisted but quite brilliant writer named Radek (played by Paul Muller) and his step-daughter Eugenie, whom he has raised from birth. Radek's wife had already been pregnant when he married her, she'd died not long after giving birth, and he'd raised Eugenie himself, but not necessarily out of fatherly affection. He had a much darker agenda, as we soon learn. He has, in fact, raised her to be his perfect companion, a lover and a collaborator in his various and sundry crimes. Radek is a Sade character, recall. He kills people just because he likes to do it, and, more importantly, because he likes to prove to himself that he can get away with it. Eugenie is sucked into his madness, and the movie records it all.Eugenie is played by the ravishing Soledad Miranda, then one of Franco's regular stable of performers, and she has never looked better than in this film. Only in her mid-20s at the time, she pulls off a balancing act, in her performance, that would have been impressive for an actress of twice her years. Eugenie willingly participates in all of her step-fathers' horrors, yet still retains an air of innocence--she is a victim as well as a perpetrator. One online review of the film said Paul Muller is totally miscast as her stepfather, and I couldn't disagree more strongly. His intensity is piercing, and he nails every note of his performance like a virtuoso. It is, in fact, difficult to imagine anyone else in the part. Originally, Franco was going to make him Eugenie's real father, as in the book, but he changed this out of censorship concerns. Still, the incest theme is quite icky, and Muller is extraordinarily creepy.Kudos, also, are due to the films' fantastic score, another shot out of the park by the most excellent Bruno Nicolai--a perfect marriage of image and sound. Like Eugenie herself, it suggests both innocence and corruption, and makes no judgments on the proceedings.The atmosphere in this one is stifling, at times, and I imagine some would feel the need for a shower after watching it. One shouldn't feel too dirty, though; this is great movie-making.
The_Void
Jess Franco has almost 200 directorial credits to his name, so with that in mind; it's not surprising that the vast majority of them are rubbish. Jess Franco certainly does know how to make a bad movie, but clearly he knows his way around a good one too, and while they're in a minority in the man's vast filmography; there are some very good Jess Franco films, and Eugenie de Sade is one of the very best of them! This is one of seven films that Franco directed in 1970 (the second titled 'Eugenie', no less) and it's a film that could almost be considered a shame; because it proves that Franco can be great if he put his mind to it, and I'd rather have ten films like than a hundred cheap and rushed sex flicks. Anyway, the main focus of the plot is the title character; Eugenie is a young girl who falls in love with her stepfather Albert; a writer of erotic fiction, after reading one of his books. It's not long before he notices and despite the incestuous implications of their relationship, he entices Eugenie to join him in his sick sex games that stretch into murder.I have to admit that the main reason I was so keen to see this film was due to the fact that it stars the amazing Soledad Miranda. This actress made a number of films with Jess Franco (including two of his best, Vampiros Lesbos and She Killed in Ecstasy) and it's a real shame that she died prematurely as she was a good actress and a pleasure to watch on screen. I have not seen many of her movies unfortunately, but from the ones I have seen - she is at her best in this one. She fits in brilliantly with the sordid tone of the film and creates just the right balance between innocence and sadism. The style of the movie is very European and Franco obviously valued how important it was to ensure that the film is erotic. There are several standout scenes; the best of which sees Soledad Miranda and Paul Muller entertain an Austrian hitchhiker that they picked up in the middle of nowhere. The film is apparently based on the writings of the Marquis de Sade; not having read any of his material, I can't say how faithful it is but there is plenty of sadism in this movie. The plot is strong for the duration and Franco manages a satisfying ending too. Overall, this is among the cream of Franco's crop and comes highly recommended to all Eurocult fans!
monkeyboogie182
Third Jess Franco film I saw after Bloody Moon and Vampyros Lesbos. After seeing Soledad Miranda in Vampyros Lesbos, I was keen to see more of her films, and I wasn't disappointed, she really carried the film with her great screen presence. Very interesting story and great direction from Franco and interesting surreal visuals especially with the first murder, loved Soledad's red gear. A lot of nudity and sex but Soledad looks great. So all of you who love Soledad Miranda or Jess Franco this film is a must. I saw a lot of links to films such as Peeping Tomand the work of Hitchcock however this took it a lot further, which was great to see.
