Plot: What’s it about?
After Kurt Menliff (Christopher Lee) whipped a young woman to the edge of her life, he was banished from his family’s castle and ventured off into the unknown. He left behind his brother, his father, and his former lover Novenka (Daliah Lavi), but now after some time has passed, he has decided to return to his old lands. He soon learns that Novenka is now his brother’s wife and in addition, she is the mistress of their father, which drives him insane. Kurt planned to reclaim Novenka for himself, so now he follows her to the beach and once there, makes his move. He soon starts to whip her with no mercy, harder and harder with each strike, but her pain seems to turn into pleasure. And after a short session of the whipping, she becomes primed for the love and of course, the two have their antics and all seems well enough. But the next day, Kurt’s corpse is discovered and shortly thereafter, it seems as though his ghost has returned to haunt the castle. Why has Kurt chosen to haunt the place, does he want to be with Novenka or simply torture his brother and father?
I suppose all of Mario Bava’s horror movies have strange their traits, but The Whip and The Body is perhaps his most unusual cinematic effort. I mean the usual blood, sex, murder, and all that good stuff is here, but then there’s pain and sadism, as well as other undercurrents. I do think this type of material could ward some off, but come on, do horror fans scare off that easily? I hope not, as this is a terrific and fun movie to watch, even if a little out there at times. I mean, this movie takes some kooky roads here and sometimes gets a little confusing, but in the end, I think it is all worthwhile. The cast is headed up by Christopher Lee, who is of course a horror legend and gives one of his finest turns in The Whip and The Body. I am very pleased to have a widescreen edition of the complete, uncut version of this film, but I am a little miffed about lack of anamorphic enhancement. Even so, this disc is a fine value and well worth a look. You could pick this disc up alone, but I recommend you purchase VCI’s Mario Bava Box Set, which also includes Kill, Baby…Kill & Blood and Black Lace.
I like a lot of Italian horror movies, so of course, Mario Bava is a name I am used to reading in the credits. But Bava is not that well known outside of horror circles, which is a shame, as his innovative direction is superb and worth a look, even to those outside the genre. I suppose the blood and sex might scare off some folks, but in truth, I think even horror haters could learn from watching Bava’s picture. Like many other Italian horror directors, Bava used stunning visuals to draw in his audience and create good atmosphere, which served his films very well. Bava’s work is of course important to horror mavens, but I think anyone who likes excellent direction would be well served to check out his resume of films. Other films directed by Bava include Black Sunday, Rabid Dogs, Shock, Four Times That Night, Planet of the Vampires, Black Sabbath, and The Girl Who Knew Too Much. The cast here includes Christopher Lee (The Satanic Rites of Dracula, The Wicker Man), Daliah Lavi (Some Girls Do, The Return of Dr. Mabuse), Tony Kendall (Crucified Girls of San Ramon, The Fantastic Three), and Isli Oberon.
Video: How does it look?
The Whip and The Body is presented in a 1.85:1 widescreen transfer, which is not enhanced for widescreen televisions. I’ve never seen the movie look this clean and sharp, but some flaws still manage to lessen the experience. The lack of an anamorphic transfer looms large here, as shimmering and edge enhancement surface a lot, which is not good in the least. The contrast and colors are stable, but not as refined as I would have liked in the end, which is a let down of sorts. But this is still a better transfer than I expected and given the history of this picture, I can see fit to cut some slack in this case.
Audio: How does it sound?
I was pleased to find this disc houses both English and Italian language tracks, which should take care of both camps on the issue. Now I found little difference between the two in terms of technical flaws, but I recommend the Italian track in the end. This is not a full surround track in either case, so don’t expect a whirlwind of dynamic audio, but I wasn’t let down here in the least. I found the dialogue, sound effects, and music to be in fine form with both tracks, no real complaints. But I do think these are little more than basic efforts, unmemorable even if adequate in the end. This disc also contains subtitles in English and Spanish, in case you’ll have a need for them.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This one has some cool bonus materials on deck, such as an audio commentary by Bava expert Tim Lucas. I had listened to Lucas’ comments on Blood and Black Lace, so I was prepared for his monotone style a little better this time around. Much of the same is present here, very slow talker and even with a lot of information at times, I think most will end this track out of boredom. But I am pleased VCI took the time to create a track, even if Lucas drops the ball in terms of enthusiasm and efficiency. You can also check out the original American titles, a selection of still photos, talent files, a trailer for the flick, and a couple pieces of isolated musical score.
