laure

THE FLICK: The name Emmanuelle has become synonymous with “sex.” And just like Kleenex or Frisbee, there’s a lot of value in defending that brand recognition. So a movie written and directed by the “real” Emmanuelle was an understandable hot property on the heels of the Sylvia Kristel adaptation in 1974. Of course what the public didn’t know was the “real” Emmanuelle didn’t exist. Emmanuelle Arsan was a Thai actress, featured briefly in Steve McQueen’s The Sand Pepples. Her husband, Louis Jacques, was the actual author behind the novel, writing under his wife’s name to protect his politically sensitive career. However, when the opportunity arose to write and direct Laure, his own erotic odyssey co-starring his wife, Jacques and Hollywood jumped at the chance. It’s easy to claim the goal the erotica film genre is to string together one titillating sequence after another with as little filler between nude scenes as possible. That’s certainly what producer Ovidio G Assonistis had in mind. But that’s not what Jacques delivered. Blessed with a larger than usual budget and nearly double the shooting time, Laure gets in as much exotic scenery as a Bond film, location hopping from one gorgeous topical to the next. And although there’s no shortage of flesh on display, the film dabbles in thematic philosophy just as often as its characters get between the sheets. None of it very deep, mind you, but at least it makes the effort. Laure herself is a pleasure-seeking preacher’s daughter who pals around with a traveling photographer, both of whom get caught up in the search for a mysterious tribe of natives who strip themselves clean of all memories at a certain time each year. Jackin uses the concept to reinforce his liberating themes of sexual freedom vs. civilized repression. But it’s still just an excuse to set Laure on the road to a Phillipino jungle, stopping to pair off with various sexual partners along the way. Star Annie Belle was a last minute replacement for Linda Lovelace (Deep Throat), who was fired after just a few days of work. With close-cropped silver hair and eyelashes as long as spider legs, she’s a ravishing figure of beauty. And Jacques’ camera captures her in the best light, experimenting with well-composed artfulness and allowing the subtle musical score to create a Gaussian, dream-like mood. The sex scenes rarely move beyond unclothed heavy petting, paced with a deliberate feminine sense of eroticism that really works. Laure is soft-sell soft-core, unlike the ugly hurriedness of D’Amato or the clumsy fumblings of Franco. And it’s all the better for it. THE FEATURES: Looking just short of “HD-riffic” on an upconverted display, this is another mind-boggling transfer from erotic specialists Severin Films. Extras include a 15-minute interview with producer Assonitis, who candidly relates much of the info spelled out in the first paragraph (including Jacques’ request to have his name removed from the film) and is quite clear about his disappointment with the Laure’s “art film” tendencies. Another brief featurette combines comments from stars Annie Belle and Al Cliver, dishing dirt about their relationship that continued after the film. A theatrical trailer wraps things up.