- Director : Jesús Franco
- Actors : Romina Power, Klaus Kinski, Jack Palance, Maria Rohm, Mercedes McCambridge
- Studio : Blue Underground
- MPAA rating : X (Mature Audiences Only)
- Country of Origin : France
- Number of discs : 2
- Media Format : Anamorphic, NTSC, Widescreen
- Run time : 2 hours and 4 minutes
- Release date : February 21, 2023
The Marquis de Sade served as an inspiration
for many of the films made by Spanish filmmaker Jesús Franco, and in the late
1960s and early 1970s he made two adaptations of his literary work. The first
of these was Marquis de Sade’s Justine, a period film set in 1700 France
and tracing the two diverging paths taken by sisters after they are orphaned in
Paris. Justine was Franco’s largest budget to that point, including
recognizable cast members such as Klaus Kinski and Jack Palance in supporting
roles. It also kicked off a preoccupation Franco had with the sexual depravity
of humanity, which he would continue in some form for much of his career.
The story is
narrated by the Marquis
de Sade himself (played by Kinski), who appears to be telling the story from a
jail cell. Justine (Romina Power) and her sister Juliette (Maria Rohm) live in
a convent until they receive news that their father has passed. The two are
forced to go out into the world and find a way to survive, and they part ways
when Juliette makes the decision to become a prostitute. Justine decides to
stay morally pure by refusing to join her sister and suffers greatly for this
choice. While Juliette turns from prostitute to thief, working her way up the
social ladder by marrying a rich noble, Justine is falsely arrested and forced
to endure years of hardship.
After being
condemned to die, Justine joins an escape plan only to find herself constantly
exploited by the corrupt people she comes across. The one exception is a
painter named Raymond (Harald Leipnitz), who takes her on as an apprentice and
muse before authorities searching for Justine force her to flee and leave
behind the only happiness she has known. From there Justine continues to cross
path with all of the wrong people, including a man who attempts to blackmail
her into killing his wife and a group of monks who attempt to make her a sex
slave.
The is a clear
preoccupation with carnal pleasures and sinful citizens, though Franco’s film
is somewhat tame compared to the future releases he is best known for. At the
same time, there is a thematic connection between this film and much of a Franco’s
work. Fans of the filmmaker will appreciate the clear trajectory his career
took following the release of Justine. Shortly after this, he would
adapt another Marquis de Sade book, Philosophy in the Boudoir (otherwise
known as Eugenie).
The 4K Ultra HD
release of Justine also comes with a Blu-ray copy of the film, which
also contains a majority of the special features. The 4K disc has a new audio
commentary track with film historians Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth, as
well as the French trailer for the movie. These extras are also included on the
Blu-ray disc, along with a handful of additional special features. New extras
include an interview with star Rosalba Neri and an optional shorter version of
the film, released in the U.S. as Deadly Sanctuary. Newly expanded is
the poster and still gallery also included in the extras.
Also a part of the special features
are interviews with Franco and writer/producer Harry Alan Towers, and
interviews with Stephen Thrower, author of “Murderous Passions: The Delirious
Cinema of Jess Franco.” The package for the new 4K release of Justine by Blue
Underground is also sure to satisfy fans of the filmmaker. Along with using the
original iconic poster art for the cover, there is a cardboard sleeve cover, with
a picture frame opening exposing Justine. There are no inserts or other
physical extras with the release, but the fancy new packaging and crisp
ultra-high-definition presentation of the film should be enough to satisfy fans
of Franco’s work.
Entertainment Value:
6.5/0
Quality of
Filmmaking: 7/10
Historical
Significance: 6/10
Special Features: 7/10
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