Histoire d'O AKA The Story Of O (1975)

The Story Of O [1975]

Director    : Just Jaeckin
MPAA Rating : NC-17
Runtime     : 1 hour, 38 minutes
Cast        : Corinne Clery
              Udo Kier
              Anthony Steel
              Jean Gaven
              Christine Minazzoli

From the Back Cover
One of the cinema's original sins returns to home video with its 
shocking portrait of sexual submission from the master of erotica, 
Just Jaecklin (Emmanuelle, Lady Chatterly's Lover). A stunning 
young woman (Corinne Clery - Moonraker, Hitch-Hike) surrenders 
herself at a remote chateau at her lover's request and is immediately 
forced into a subservient sexual relationship. Her submission is total
to the odyssey that explores the shadowy boundaries between 
pleasure and pain. 

Synopsis :

In a strange, secluded chateau, a woman know only as O (Corinne Clery) 
is introduced to sadomasochism by her lover: he whips her, chains her, 
and watches her make love to and beat up others. In the process of 
"proving her love" for him, she gives up everything- even agreeing to be 
branded -- to provide him with pleasure. This adaptation of Pauline 
Reage's best-selling erotic novel was directed by Just Jaecklin 
(EMMANUELLE) ...


from [www.amazon.com]
A milestone of cinematic eroticism, The Story of O was an art house 
sensation in 1975, and it's still worthy of intelligent discussion. 
As with the controversial French novella by Pauline Réage, reactions 
to Just Jaeckin's sumptuous adaptation range from moral outrage to 
masturbatory indulgence, yet this remains one of the few sex films 
that stand the test of time (and a lot of academic study). Championed 
by practitioners of bondage and discipline and vilified by feminists, 
this metaphorical "love dream" (as Jaeckin has called it) follows the 
beautiful fashion photographer "O" (Corrine Clery) as she, like many 
gorgeously naked women before her, is "trained" for a seemingly 
satisfying life of love and discipline, her freedom sacrificed to the 
man (Anthony Steel) whom she willingly obeys. The debate whether 
Jaeckin's feminine-empowerment ending, which differs from that of 
the novella, justifies a story of humiliating submission is just one 
more reason why The Story of O endures. (Note: This DVD presents 
the 97-minute version of the film, edited by the director to improve 
pacing and not for purposes of censorship.) --Jeff Shannon