Histoire d'O (1975)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Just Jaeckin

Writers:

Dominique Aury (novel)
Sébastien Japrisot (writer)

Release Date:

14 November 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The Masterpiece of Bizarre Love That Stormed France. A Portrait of Love and Submission to Disorder the Senses

Plot:

The beautiful O is taken by her boyfriend, Rene, to a bizarre retreat, where she is trained in bondage and sexual perversion...

Plot Keywords:

Sexual Perversion | Perversion | Bondage | Branding | Punishment

Cast

Corinne Clery	...	O
Udo Kier	...	Rene
Anthony Steel	...	Sir Stephen
Jean Gaven	...	Pierre
Christiane Minazzoli	...	Anne-Marie
Martine Kelly	...	Therese
Jean-Pierre Andréani	...	Eric, master II
Gabriel Cattand	...	The commander
Li Sellgren	...	Jacqueline (a model)
Albane Navizet	...	Andree
Nadine Perles	...	Jeanne
Laure Moutoussamy	...	Norah, the maid
Henri Piégay	...	Master I
Alain Noury	...	Ivan
Florence Cayrol	...	Yvonne (as Jehanne Blaise)
Eva Carson	...	Monique
Sylvie Olivier	...	Claire
Bernard Jeantet	...	Florent
Jean-François Mathieu	...	Regis
Stéphane Macha	...	Georges
Vladimir Brajovic	...	Master III
Judith Novak	...	Madeline
Gabriel Briand	...	Master lV
Alain Jarry
Caroline Baudry
Puce
Vibeke Knudsen	...	Model in photo-studio
Roger Trapp
Pin Pin
Michèle Montel	...	Narrator (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Schootemeyer	...	Master V (uncredited)

Directed by
Just Jaeckin

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Dominique Aury		novel (as Pauline Réage)
Sébastien Japrisot		writer

Produced by
Claude Giroux	....	associate producer
Gérard Lorin	....	producer
Éric Rochat	....	executive producer
Éric Rochat	....	producer

Original Music by
Pierre Bachelet

Cinematography by
Robert Fraisse
Yves Rodallec

Film Editing by
Francine Pierre

Art Direction by
Jean-Baptiste Poirot

Set Decoration by
Olivier Paultre

Costume Design by
Tan Giudicelli

Makeup Department
Patrick Ales	....	hair stylist
Aïda Carange	....	makeup artist
Florence Fouquier D'Herouel	....	makeup artist (as Florence Fouquier)
Eric Wackers	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Roger Fleytoux	....	production manager
Sylvain Hecht	....	unit manager
François Menny	....	unit manager
Patrick Poubel	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
André Delacroix	....	assistant director
Christine Gozlan	....	assistant director
Jean-Louis Lapassade	....	assistant director
Yvon Sassiaud	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Catherine Dubeau	....	sound editor
J.C. Duval	....	sound
Jean-Pierre Lelong	....	sound effects
Élisabeth Parnière	....	sound editor
Gina Pignier	....	sound editor
Claude Plouganou	....	sound editor
Alex Pront	....	sound
Laurent Quaglio	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Georges Pierre	....	still photographer
Yves Rodallec	....	camera operator

Music Department
Matt Camison	....	music arranger
Matt Camison	....	musical director

Other crew
Colette Crochot	....	script supervisor
Jean-Philippe Dupont	....	location manager

Production Companies

• A.D. Creation
• S.N. Prodis
• Somerville House
• Terra-Filmkunst
• Yang Films

Distributors

• Allied Artists Pictures (1975) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Concorde Film (1975) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Artisan Entertainment
• Ventura Distribution

Other Companies

• Cerruti 1881  costumes
• Dinh Van  jewellery

Also Known As:

Die Geschichte der O (West Germany)
The Story of O (USA)

MPAA:

Rated NC-17 for explicit sexuality.

Runtime:

Australia:105 min (2000 uncut re-release) | USA:97 min

Country:

France | West Germany | Canada

Language:

French | English | Polish

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:(Banned) (1978-2003) (cinema release) | Australia:R | Canada:R | Denmark:16 | Finland:(Banned) | Netherlands:18 | New Zealand:R18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:NC-17 | USA:X (original rating) | West Germany:18 | Norway:18 (video) (1987) | New Zealand:(Banned) (1978-2003) (cinema release)

Company:

A.D. Creation

Trivia:

Christopher Lee turned down the role of Sir Stephen.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Sex at 24 Frames Per Second (2003) (V)

oddity

Just Jaeckin's film version of the celebrated novel by Pauline Reage manages to completely miss the point of her work (by changing the ending, specifically), but taken purely as a movie has a certain amount of interest.

Corrine Clery plays 'O', a photographer who is taken by her boyfriend Rene (Udo Kier) to a sado-masochistic den where she willingly submits to physical and sexual abuse. 'O's motivation was much more obvious within the novel, but here it is secondary to the titallating spectacle of soft porn. Clery is not really the ideal 'O', either, her looks being too idealistic and her acting just too bad.

After a spell in the academy which serves to turn her into a total submissive she is practically sold on to Sir Stephen (50s pin-up Anthony Steel, of all people!) who is even more depraved and dominating than anyone else she has met. Perhaps the strongest sections of the film concern 'O's relationship with Sir S, but I wasn't convinced by the changed ending (powerful though it was from a movie standpoint). The cinematography is also attractive, particularly in its use of colour, and the French language version adds a certain mystique to the story.