Fascinating doco about one of the great zeitgeist films of the 70s – Emmanuelle did not invent soft core porn as someone in this incorrectly claims (Russ Meyer was churning it out for years beforehand) but it was one of those films where all the elements just came together to create a sensation: based on a racy book, the fact it was French and therefore a bit foreign but not too foreign, Columbia Pictures got behind it for their US launch, the (first time) director was a fashion photographer who gave the film a beautiful exotic-yet-safe look, location filming in Thailand (making the behaviour seem more realistic), etc. Most of all there was the performance of Sylvia Kristel in the lead – very few actors, if ever, combined sensuality and innocence so well; throw in her looks and body and you have a genuine superstar. I was surprised Kristel didn’t have a bigger career – seeing this explains why she didn’t (got hooked on coke big time, refused to audition). As it is she had a pretty good run, though she blew most of her money (I hate it when they do that); she still looks pretty stylish and good for her age.
This doco talks about the Emmanuelle series which followed: Kristel only did two more, but it’s gone on forever despite (as the producer admits) being unable to find anyone as good (he also admits that one day he hopes to be able to make a good one); they interview the current Emmanuelle, who seems like a nice enough person but demonstrates that the producer doesn’t get it – he says Emmanuelle can’t give the impression of being a whore, but that’s just the impression that this new girl gives. I would have liked to hear a bit more about other members of the cast of the original film (wasn’t Alan Cluny a respected name at the time?) but I guess they didn’t have time. Still, an engrossing tale.
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