Cheap Immoral Tales (Video) (Walerian Borowczyk) Price

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Customer Reviews of Immoral Tales

Contes Immoraux: imported erotic, circa 1974
In the 1970's foreign "erotica" was popular in the U.S. as the art film and adult film audiences began to merge. Director Walerian Borowczyk was actually a Polish-born animator who found a more lucrative career in France turning out "classy" sexploitation film. "Immoral Tales" is a collection of four stories: "The Tide," set in the present, finds two young cousins (Pascale Christophe and Lise Danvers) stranded on the beach by the rising tide and taking advantage of the seclusion for some forbidden fun. "Therese Philosophe," set in the 19th-century, has a young girl (Charlotte Alexander) locked in her bedroom where she finds pleasure in the various everyday objects around her. "Erzebet Bathory" is a rather tame look at the sixteenth-century evil woman, played by Picasso's daughter Paloma, who bathed in the blood of virgins. Finally, "Lucrezia Borgia" depicts an incenstuous orgy involving Lucrezia (Florence Bellamy), her brother Ceasar (Lorenzo Berinizi) and their father, Pope Alexander IV (Jacopo Berinzini). Yes, this is pretty much as bad as it sounds, although Paloma Picasso is a very beautiful woman. Ultimately, "Immoral Tales" comes off more as counter-culture schlock than continental eroticism. It is also depressing to think that Europeans thought this kind of stuff would go over big time in the United States. This DVD is letterboxed and includes the theatrical trailer.

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Immorally a waste of $$
I purchased this not expecting much, which is to be expected if your into these types of films, but i do enjoy eroticy. There was nothing to enjoy about this one. I find it hard to believe that even those who like "artsy erotic" would enjoy this. constant panning of the camera & quick scene changes were very frustrating. Such as the young lovers on the beach, I was shown more of the beach, cliffs & waves than I was shown of the characters, and then it was just quick shots too "up close" or
from too far away. Big disappointment!

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Immoral...no. More exploitative than anything else
With the reputation Walerian Borowczyk (boroh-chick) had, I eagerly sprang to get this video ages ago. I just saw it again and well,... anyway, this quartet of stories features tales that are more exploitative in showing copious amounts of female genitalia rather than being immoral.

The Tide, based on a story by Andre Preyre de Mandiargues, is set in contemporary France (then 1975) about a twenty-year old man who seduces his sixteen year-old cousin Julie, on the beach, using his age difference to bend her to his will. He is a bit of a bossy sort, and I was surprised to see her obey him meekly. It's mostly talky, with some pompous dialogue of the using the rise of tides as analogous to his desire of her. There's a nice close-up of Julie's lips and she looks nice in the altogether. Even so... (Rating: 3 out of 5)

Therese the Philosopher is about a religiously devout French girl in 1890 who is wrongfully punished and is locked in a room for three days. What happens in that room? To quote words she heard from God while at church: "Reveal yourself by showing your weakness, your sensuality, your pride, your craven, selfish indolence." And also, I'll never think of cucumbers the same way again. As for the story, so what? (Rating: 2.5 out of 5)

The next two stories are significantly better. The third story, Erzebet Bathory, has the notorious Blood Countess going to a village to round up young girls for her dastardly pleasures, under the masquerade of granting eternal bliss and grace for those touching her pearl-encrusted gown. This has about twenty or so girls in the altogether, and they go into a crazed frenzy when they see Bathory in her dress. Does Bathory have a bath? Find out for yourself (Rating: 4 out of 5)

The fourth story, set in 1498 Florence, would probably be considered immoral, as it involves Lucrezia Borgia having a threesome with Pope Alexander VI (her father Rodrigo) and a cardinal (her brother Cesare) while they send her impotent simp of an uptight husband, Giovanni Sforza away. Meanwhile, monk Hieronymous Savonarola rails against the immorality of the church, of priests openly displaying their sons, until he is captured and becomes Dominican barbeque. (Rating: 4 out of 5)

I think this quartet tried to subtly shock given the theme in each one. It doesn't do so effectively. However, for the sake of showing several nubile girls full frontal, I suppose this is more a curio than anything. Slow moving and more sensationalistic and exploitative than shocking. (Overall rating: (3+2.5+4+4)/4=3