Plot: What’s it about?
Mimi (Catherine Spaak) is a beautiful woman who has just lost her husband, but is about to discover herself. After her husband passes on, she begins to go through his papers and uncovers an apartment she was unaware of. Of course, she wants to know more about this apartment, but little does she know what awaits her there. This apartment wasn’t just a place to sleep or cool down after arguments, it had a specific purpose and it was equipped with all the needed elements to ensure that purpose was fulfilled. You see, this apartment was a place her husband went when he wanted to explore his sexual limits, a place where his every desire could be taken care of, even though his wife wasn’t present. Mimi is hurt by the discovery at first, wishing her husband would have come to her with his needs, instead of looking outside of their relationship, but she soon changes her mind about the apartment. Now Mimi has decided that perhaps the apartment isn’t so bad and as a result, she will begin to explore her own sexuality using the apartment’s contents, but can she handle what all the apartment houses?
I’m always pleased to see more releases from The Audubon Collection, so when The Libertine was announced, I couldn’t wait to check out the disc. As with most of the films in The Audubon Collection, this one is a European production that focuses on sexual content, although it is by no means pornographic. But it does have plenty of naked flesh, sexually charged sequences, and in this case, a wide array of sexual devices to keep it all fresh. I found The Libertine to be a worthwhile film, as it has all the needed elements and has a very odd overall tone, which adds to the entertainment value, without question. Of course, you have to be interested in European erotic cinema to enjoy this one, but I think that is a given. The Libertine has a dated look, but it works very well and is sort of a mix behind A Clockwork Orange and Barbarella at times, which leads to some memorable, often very tacky visuals. The film does suffer from some of the usual trappings, but erotic cinema treads a fine line and The Libertine stays on the good side throughout. If you’re a fan of Radley Metzger or European erotic cinema in general, then I give this disc a more than solid recommendation, so don’t hesitate to check out The Libertine.
Video: How does it look?
The Libertine is presented in a 1.85:1 widescreen transfer, which is not enhanced for widescreen televisions. The image here looks about as expected, which means some wear & tear is evident, but I’m still pleased with the results. In this case, the film’s limited audience pretty much eliminates a full restoration, so as long the print is stable and acceptable, fans can deal with it and here, we have a stable and acceptable print. You’ll see nicks, grain, lines, and scratches, but these flaws never lessen the experience much, though they’re tough to ignore, certainly. The image is a tad soft, but that’s typical for films of this ilk and on the whole, the image is more than solid, given the age & nature of the materials. So no, this is not a pristine treatment, but as far as the materials are concerned, I think this is a respectable presentation.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio here is clean and has minimal age related defects, but we’re only given the English language version. I’d like to have had the Italian on deck here also, but the English dub is all First Run Features has included here. But on a technical basis, this track is more than up to snuff and sounds much cleaner than expected, to be sure. I heard little in terms of distortion, hiss, or errors of any kind, a well aged track that sounds terrific after all these years. Yes, the music sounds dated, but it is supposed so, after all, the film is no spring chicken. The dialogue is sharp and while the synch is off, you can’t expect any dub to match to perfection. As I said, I wish this was a dual language release, but the included track is solid in most respects.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes some rare outtakes, a selection of still photos & poster artwork, liner notes, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
