SpuffyWeb
Sadly Over-hyped
NekoHomey
Purely Joyful Movie!
Arianna Moses
Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.
Nigel P
This is the slickest Jess Franco film I have seen. In fact, the difference in production values between this and something like 'Dracula Contra Frankenstein' is so staggering, they seem like the work of two different directors. The actors, including a wild-eyed Klaus Kinski and a shifty-looking Dennis Price, look immaculate. Only the over-used footage of the Rio carnival betrays the less shiny quality of its spliced-in origins.James Darren plays Jimmy Logan, a jazz musician who becomes obsessed with beautiful Wanda (Maria Rohm), whom he finds dead on a beach in Istanbul (this scene opens the film, with swathes of backstory told in flashback, narrated in film noir-ish style by Darren). We are then treated to a swirling, delirious cocktail of sex and horror intrigue, often threaded through with the image of a girl in furs who looks like a mannequin – there is one lengthy scene where she appears to seduce, torture and kill Price's Percival Kapp whilst alternating between dream and reality. It is very weird, intoxicating and even more impressive because the fantasy is played without any dialogue.One of my favourite characters here is the least complex. Rita (Barbara McNair) makes no secret of the fact that she adores Jimmy in spite of his infatuation with Wanda. McNair's expressions of forlorn longing and subsequent dejection when she realises she has lost her love, are powerful, and we are relieved for her when she finally musters up the sense to make a dignified exit. However, she literally has the last laugh, as it is Rita who sings out the title song over the end credits, full of life ad gusto, which is more than can be said for her ex.For such a delirious, jazzy cocktail of a film, it is Franco's restraint that makes it work so well. His trademark zoom-ins are here, but used sparingly, and only to enhance a mood. Filtered camera effects also abound, but only in tone with what is revealed to be going on. I enjoyed 'Venus in Furs' very much for its consistent storyline (the twist at the end doesn't make much sense, alas) and atmosphere. I also very much enjoy Franco's tatty, less acclaimed works for opposite reasons.
matheusmarchetti
Having been previously disappointed by both "Succubus" and "The Virgin Among the Living Dead", "Venus in Furs" came as a pleasant surprise, and establishes the director, at least in my book, as a truly visionary auteur. As seen in "Succubs", Franco relies mostly on imagery, symbolism and music to it's seemingly plot less story. These elements are, however, essential for a film such as this, where "style" becomes "substance", which consists basically on creating a visual representation of a musician's nightmarish fantasies, much like in Dario Argento's "Deep Red". That being said, the film's style doesn't really owe a lot to Argento, but rather to another important Italian director - Federico Fellini. Franco's attempt to enter an artist's subconscious during a personal crisis, is hardly any different to that of Marcello Mastroianni in "8 1/2", only with a considerable amount of horrific elements and sleaze added into the mix. As I've said before, music is one of the key element to "Venus in Furs", as it enhances it symbolizes the world the protagonist has submerged into. Accompained by a unique visual style which recalls both the works of German expressionism and 60's psychedelia, music replaces it's few but surprisingly poorly written dialog (which is almost entirely a voice-over monologue by lead actor James Darren), in symbolizing character's emotions and situations they find themselves in. Though the 'written words' are secondary in Franco's world, and this one in particular, the characters are very well written and surprisingly likable. James Darren is as confused as the audience in his Chet Baker-inspired role, and perfectly conveys the feeling of being a strange in his own universe. Klaus Kinski is a memorable villain as always, and almost reminiscent to his performance as Count Dracula in Werner Herzog's "Nosferatu, the Vampyr". Maria Rohm is a fine replacement to Soledad Miranda, and her performance of a speechless, gorgeous but vengeful 'evil spirit' is as unforgettable as her Spanish counterpart. Yet it is Margaret Lee who really outdoes Rohm as the other important female figure in the picture, as a very pitiable, lonely and equally beautiful antagonist. Last but not least, Barbara McNair is lovingly charismatic as the a-little-too-friendly Rita, whose small role might be important than it seems. Nevertheless, the performances have been criticized for being a bit dull, but I think it makes the film's bizarre, trippy universe even weirder, as well as giving some interesting hints as to understanding it's purposely ambiguous finale. For all it's cons, that are easily forgiven by it's pros, the film is a 8/10 near-masterpiece.
mrcaw1
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.
The_Void
Jess Franco made a hell of a lot of films over his vast career, and it's not surprising that most of them are trash. When speaking of his best films, it's usually The Diabolical Dr Z and this film; Venus in Furs that get mentioned, and there's a good reason for that! I can't say that this film is better than the fantastic Diabolical Dr Z myself, but it's certainly a great slice of Eurocult and I won't hesitate to say that Franco has outdone himself with this film! Venus in Furs is a sort of mixture of sleazy exploitation and, bizarrely, film noir. This does give the film a very odd tone, though it's made good use of. The film starts off in Istanbul and focuses on a trumpeter who finds himself in the middle of a mystery. While strolling on the beach one day, he comes across the washed up body of a woman. After studying her face, he realise that not only does he recognise her - he was there at the party where a group of people mutilated her! The trumpeter then decides to go to Rio, where he meets a singer named Rita; and bumps into the girl he found washed up on the beach...There are a few films called Venus in Furs - this being the only one that I've seen, though it would seem that this one is unrelated to the rest as it is not based on a novel by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch. Like a lot of Eurocult films, this one gets rather confusing at several points and occasionally you just have to go along with it - even if what you're seeing doesn't make a lot of sense. While this might be a huge flaw in some films, in this one it actually isn't, as even when the story isn't up to much; Franco ensures that the visuals are. Venus in Furs is a hugely trippy affair, and Franco pays a lot of attention to detail in most scenes and the fact that the film features a whole host of beautiful women certainly doesn't do it any harm either. The film boasts a very decent cast, with James Darren doing well in the lead role and getting support from beauties such as Barbara McNair, Maria Rohm and Margeret Lee; as well as from cult stars Dennis Price and the great Klaus Kinski. It all boils down to a decent conclusion, which works well within the context of the film. Overall, Venus in Furs is an excellent slice of sleaze and certainly comes recommended to fans of this kind of cinema!
