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The DVD features both English and Italian language soundtracks (neither of which feature Lee's voice, though the English track better matches the images) with optional subtitles, a sharp, informative commentary track by Bava historian Tim Lucas, and two cut scenes hidden as "Easter Eggs." To access these, go to the Special Features menu, move the cursor to "Play American Titles," and push the left arrow button. --Sean Axmaker
| CATEGORY: | DVD |
| DIRECTOR: | Mario Bava |
| THEATRICAL RELEASE DATE: | 10 December, 1965 |
| MANUFACTURER: | Vci Home Video |
| MPAA RATING: | Unrated |
| FEATURES: | Color, Widescreen |
| TYPE: | Feature Film-drama |
| MEDIA: | DVD |
| # OF MEDIA: | 1 |
| UPC: | 089859826924 |
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Customer Reviews of The Whip and The Body
Mario Bava's Gothic S&M romance...... Kurt Menliff (Christopher Lee) returns to his ancestral castle after being banished by his father some years before. He finds that his lover Nevenka (Daliah Lavi) has married his brother. However, it is not long before they resume their previous S&M relationship and Kurt is mysteriously murdered. Is Nevenka being haunted by his ghost or is it al in her mind? You'll have to watch it to find out.
"The whip and the body" is unlike many of the horror films made in the 1960s. However it is typical of Bava's horror movies in that the lines between good and evil are somewhat blurred. There are no "good" characters in this movie. They are either weak, cruel, hypocritical. The heroine is not the typical virginal innocent of most horror movies, in fact the virtuous romantic "leads" of this film are only background characters. The main focus is on the relationship between Kurt and Nevenka. We are encouraged to sympathise with them. This is what makes the film so daring. The whipping scenes are pretty explicit (especially for 1963) but it is the fact that Bava treats this relationship like a "normal" love story (therefore not condemning the participants) that makes the film so unique among horror films of the period. Regardless of this, the film is worth watching for the startling use of colour and cinematography alone. Some scenes almost resemble a 19th century Romantic painting. If you are a horror fan or even a film buff (and definately if you are a fan of Lee or Lavi) see this film!
Superb Gothic Horror
Delirious! Part whodunit, part ghost story and perhaps one of the finest Gothic tales of the sixties. "La Frusta E il Corpo" is a very beautiful romantic horror movie. Don't miss it. The atmosphere is unique, the film is like a painting, the photography and the scenery are exceptional, the music is stirring, and the acting is very good. (Christopher Lee is haunting and the handsome Daliah Lavi reminds me at Barbara Steele) At least as good as the Hammer Film Productions! I am very happy that nearly all the work of maestro Mario Bava is now available on DVD and I can only hope that it will be possible to buy other great Italian classics such as "La Danza Macabra" and "I Lunghi Capelli de la Morte" from Antonio Margheriti on DVD in the future too.
Bava at his best
They certainly don't make pictures like this anymore. This is an unique combination of ghost story and SM-romance, capturing the sensibility of the gothic novel, unmatched by any other cinematic attempt that I'm aware of. Christopher Lee is the mystical brother who returns to the family mansion, where everybody despices him, making him responsible for the suicide of a servant girl - the knife is kept in a showcase as a holy relic. Only Nevenka (Daliah Lavi), once his fiancé, now his sister-in-law seems confused about her feelings towards him. He is soon found murdered and the movie becomes a kind of whodunit, since everybody would have perfectly adequate reasons to get rid of him (the lumbering servant even looks like Peter Lorre). Soon he comes back from the grave to haunt Nevenkas bedchamber. Daliah Lavi has the same kind of fragile, pale beauty as Barbara Steele (who was initially offered the part), which makes her well suited for this kind of aesthetic. This is how one could imagine what Poe's Ligeia would look like.
This is really not to be missed by any lover of the gothic genre and the restored DVD looks quite good.