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Frusta e il corpo, La (1963)

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12 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :-
Mario Bava: I worship thee!, 7 June 2005

Author: Coventry from the Draconian Swamp of Unholy Souls

Irresistible and genuine Gothic scares, combined with atmospheric camera-work and breath-taking scenery… Welcome to yet another visual masterpiece directed by the greatest horror genius of all time: Mario Bava! "The Whip and the Body" isn't the man's most mentioned achievement, it's not even in my personal Bava-top 3 and yet I still rated it a solid 9 out of 10. That should give you somewhat an idea of how excellent his total repertoire in fact is. "The Whip and the Body" is a unique film in many ways, but particularly because of the controversial substance it dared to bring forward. Don't forget that the year of release was 1963 and Mario Bava unscrupulously introduces characters with taboo-fetishes like S & M. The story is terrifically set in the 19th century, where Kurt Menliff returns to his eminent family after being banished for several years. The family's hate towards Kurt's vile behavior is only surpassed by their fear and only the gorgeous Nevenka has a secret desire towards his wicked sexual preferences. In a particularly astonishing sequence, he whips her repeatedly (and roughly...) before continuing with making love. Terror overcomes the Menliff family when Kurt is found murdered in his room and when the tormented Nevenka begins to see his appearance in nearly every chamber of the castle. As it usually is the case in Bava's films, the plot contains quite a few holes and illogical moments, but they're totally forgivable if you acknowledge the intensity and power of the wholesome. Especially praiseworthy is Mario Bava's unequaled talent to turn totally natural things into terrifying atmosphere-elements… Blowing wind, pouring rain, footprints covered in mud...all these ordinary things turn into suspicious omens in the hands of this masterful filmmaker. With his skilled cinematographic eye, Bava perfectly knows how to raise an unbearable tension that grabs you by the neck immediately and it doesn't let go until the very last scene fades away. All the other typical Bava-trademarks are clearly present as well, namely an authentically creepy score, a minimum of stylish gore (burning, rotting corpses!!) and – last but not least – a stunning use of color shades. Mario plays with colors like he invented them and this emphasizes the spook-effect even more. "The Whip and the Body" is a more than just a shocking horror film. It's an offbeat love-story, a Gothic poem AND an unsettling horror tale all in one! If you love beautiful cinema, don't miss "The Whip and the Body".

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7 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
An excellent film, by any standards., 5 December 2005

Author: capkronos (capkronos@hotmail.com) from Ohio, USA

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Made around the same time as Mario's classic horror anthology BLACK SABBATH, this deserves the same accolades as his other more famous work. Upon release, WHIP was unfairly neglected, hacked up, censored and critically frowned upon for the subject matter (sexual violence). Next to RABID DOGS (1974), it was also the most difficult of Bava's genre films to acquire in America; I'm not even aware of an accessible home video release until just recently. All but forgotten for decades, but now finally available in a gorgeous restored cut on DVD from Sinister Cinema, WHIP is an absolute must see for Bava fans and very highly recommended for aficionados of Gothic horror. It is also a film that demands to be seen by any person interested in film-making as art - in set design, costume design, lighting schemes, color, shadow and music used for the creation of atmosphere and mood. Every single frame is composed with the utmost care and every inch of the screen exhibits such astonishing attention to detail that it almost begs to be watched in slow motion to soak it all in. Bava is a rare cinematic artist; a true visionary who uses celluloid as his palate; painting all the colors of the dark on drab, dank and dreary castle walls and corridors. Even though the story slips into the routine at times, it also is above average; progressive, serious, entertaining and even extremely ballsy for the 1960s in that it dares to romanticize sexual violence and sadomasochism.

Christopher Lee (who considers this one of his best films) is perfectly hateful as Kurt Menliff, a cold-eyed sadist who returns home to his family's seaside castle after being banished years earlier. His ailing father (Gustavo De Nardo as "Dean Ardow") calls him a serpent, his brother Christian (Tony Kendall aka Luciano Stella) has since married Kurt's beautiful raven-haired ex-fiancé Nevenka (Daliah Lavi) and the loyal housekeeper Giorgia (Harriet Medin), whose daughter, Tanya, had taken her own life after being seduced and abandoned by Kurt, quietly plots her revenge. Also in the house is a pretty, but plain, young cousin named Katya (Ida Galli as "Isli Oberon"), who is actually in love with Christian and would undoubtedly make a much better mate for him. No one exactly welcomes Kurt home with open arms, so when he's found dead with a dagger driven into his neck (the same fashion Tanya ended her life) it isn't a surprise, though it does create a shroud of suspicion over every person in the castle. Even worse, Kurt seems to have returned from the dead to haunt, terrorize and inflict damage via the lash on poor, emotionally fragile Nevenka.

The most interesting and complex character in the film turns out to be Nevenka herself. Her love-hate relationship with Kurt is unique and memorable. Though Christian is handsome, gentle and devoted to his bride, she obviously has the strongest passion (and love) for the cruel Kurt, who claims the reason he came back to the castle in the first place was that he heard his brother had married his former lover. Kurt's return has nothing to do with guilt over his immoral actions, but everything to do with control over Nevenka. It is made very clear during a beach love scene right before Kurt is murdered that the two do share a deep personal bond and a sexual secret. Right before his death, Nevenka is reminded by her former lover, "You haven't changed... You always loved violence!" before he alternates viciously whipping her with his passionate kisses. And she likes it so much you get the strong feeling that her 'straight' life with Christian was miserable for her. Kurt and Nevenka's love is a love of pain and mutual violence, but also of understanding that their mutual love for the sadism is a hard thing to come by. Their love is forbidden, but it is still distinctly, uniquely theirs... even into the grave.

As he proved in THE HORROR OF Dracula (1958) and other horror films, Lee is a tall, towering, menacing figure, even when given little to no dialog. He's killed off fairly early here and appears sporadically throughout the film as a silent 'ghost,' but is all the more effective in his elusiveness. Dark beauty Daliah Lavi, who was a former Miss Iran, is excellent in the role and should have gone on to a career similar to that of Barbara Steele, who in many ways she resembles. Both ladies are able to embody Gothic horror to a T. The entire supporting cast, especially Medin, is very good. And Bava's mastery of the medium, like I said, really make the film incomparably intoxicating. He offers up twisting doorknobs, disembodied voices, creaking floorboards, secret passageways, muddy footprints, hands reaching out at you from the darkness, horse rides along the beach and other Gothic trappings with his exquisite flair for the visual, making this a painfully underrated gem of Euro-shock cinema.

Some notes: * Bava used aliases all around - "John M. Old" for director and "Dick Grey" and "David Hamilton" for his cinematography. * A scene of Lavi moaning in ecstasy as she's being whipped by Lee was so controversial that it was excised from most prints when originally released * It was filmed on location in France * Co-writer Ernesto Gastaldi also wrote THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK, THE SCORPION'S TAIL, TORSO and many other notable Italian horror films from the 60s, 70s and 80s. The DVD comes with a few trailers for Bava films (including the French version of WHIP), four bios, photo and lobby card gallery, soundtrack access and the original U.S. main titles (under the name WHAT!).

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7 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Horror Film With An S & M Twist, 20 December 1998

Author: Jay Fenton (jjfenton@nb.net) from Pittsburgh, PA

Kurt Menliff (Cristopher Lee) returns home to his ancestral castle which he was forced to leave after he whipped a village girl nearly to death. He finds that his fiance (Daliah Lavi) has married his brother, as well as having become the mistress of his father. (Don't panic, there's worse to come). He follows her to the beach and whips her savagely. She loves it and they end the session making love. The next day Kurt is found dead and Daliah soon begins experiencing nightly flagellations at the hands of his ghost. Christopher Lee has stated that this is one of his best films. It is certainly one of the most brilliantly bizarre horror films ever made. Directed by cult icon Mario Bava, Italy's finest cinematographer (if not one of their finest directors), it rises as far above an S & M fantasy as can be imagined. It was censored in every country in the world for its sexual violence and what remained was almost incoherent for most audiences and re-released under various titles: WHAT! in the US; NIGHT IS THE PHANTOM in the UK, etc. Until video (with somewhat faded color) it was impossible to see in its original form. Even now it remains a profoundly misunderstood film and should be seen in a theater in its complete form instead of on video.

J.F.

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6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the best movies by THE most underrated director of the Fantastic., 10 April 2004
Author: Infofreak from Perth, Australia

As I slowly get to watch more Mario Bava movies my enthusiasm for his extraordinary body of work grows and grows. I was already hooked after watching 'Black Sunday' for the first time, but after subsequently seeing 'Kill, Baby...Kill!', 'Planet Of The Vampires', 'Black Sabbath', 'Diabolik' and 'Lisa And The Devil' (and others) I was convinced that he's THE most underrated director of the Fantastic. Now I've watched 'The Whip And The Body' three times and listened to Tim Lucas' informative DVD commentary I'm almost ready to bow down and worship Bava like a god! This is such a fascinating movie... Visually it's stunning, as to be expected, Bava being a top cinematographer before turning to directing. The subject matter is still provocative, but forty years ago it must have been scandalous! In fact the movie was heavily censored and when eventually released in America given the lousy title 'What'. Christopher Lee counts this among his favourite roles and it is essential viewing for his fans. He plays Kurt Menliff, an evil sadistic nobleman returning to his family home after hearing his younger brother has wed. Lee's family has disowned him after a scandal concerning a servant girl he seduced who subsequently suicided. His father the Count despises him, the dead girl's mother, who still works for the Count, curses him, and his brother's new bride Nevenka (Daliah Lavi) fears him. Kurt and Nevenka have a past, not only that, a complicated sadomasochistic relationship. The whipping scenes between the two actors were a bit too much for the censors to handle back in the day, and while they aren't all that explicit, they are still unsettling even today. Lee and the stunning Lavi (best know to most people for her later appearance in the star-studded Bond spoof 'Casino Royale') make a truly unforgettable couple. Many people regard 'The Whip And The Body' as Bava's single best movie. I wouldn't go that far myself, but it's definitely one of his very best films, and is sure to impress anyone who has enjoyed his other pictures. Ghost story, murder mystery, psychosexual character study, whatever you want to call it, it's a highly original movie that will stay with you for a long time. Newcomers to Bava are still best to start with 'Black Sunday' in my opinion, but this movie comes with my highest recommendation.

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9 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :-
Christopher Lee raises hell in Bava's baroque horror romance!, 6 June 2005

Author: The_Void from Beverley Hills, England

Mario Bava is often hailed as one of the true gods of horror cinema, and for good reason. His influence extends his filmography, and many Mario Bava films have gone on to have a big effect on the horror genre on the whole. Films such as Bay of Blood and Black Sunday are well known and have been seen by many serious film fanatics, but when you delve deeper into the man's list of directorial credits, his lesser known films tend to be just as good as his major hits. The Whip and the Body is one such film, and after viewing it; I rate it among the very top of the man's movies. This Gothic horror romance features many of Mario Bava's trademarks, which are the things that have won him such high praise from a number of well-informed sources. The story follows Nevenka, a young woman who is married to Christian, son of the lord of the castle in which the film takes place. However, things aren't so simple as Christian's brother, Kurt, a sadistic nobleman is still in love with his brother's bride and has returned to the castle to reclaim his girl. Things really get interesting when he is found dead, only for his ghost to reappear inside the castle walls.

One of things that Mario Bava is often highly praised for is his use of lighting, and this film features what is probably the best use of lighting ever seen in a Bava film. The lights give flair to the scenery, and help to give the film that picturesque cinematography that the former cinematographer creates so well. Despite being excellent, however, it's not the lighting that is the main standout in this movie; it's the soundtrack. Giving the film a tragic love story atmosphere, the powerful theme bodes with the lighting to help create a tense and powerful atmosphere, in which Bava allows his actors to inhabit. This film represents the only pairing of Bava with British horror icon Christopher Lee, and as usual Lee lights up the screen with his persona and screen presence. The whipping scenes are what made this film notorious in the first place, and seeing Lee enjoying delivering the lashing is haunting and even quite frightening! The romance element of the story is wonderfully done, and it offsets the horror of the story well, which ultimately brings the film into balance. I rate this Bava film as one of the best the great Italian ever made and it therefore comes with a soaring recommendation.

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4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
Hauntingly Exquisite Chiller, One Of Bava's Best, 7 August 2005

Author: Hal-900 from WA, USA

This is one of the best-looking horror films that I've seen. The hues of Ubaldo Terzano's dream-like color photography make an excellent contrast with the story's bizarre elements. In fact, the Technicolor cinematography is so beautiful that the film looks like a horror version of a Powell-Pressburger movie. I often think that horror films are best served in b/w, but this movie made me question this theory of mine. The film's plot gets less attention than the visuals, but the narrative is strong and so are the performances. Christopher Lee plays a recently deceased sadist who may or may not be haunting his relatives. He is superb. Actress Daliah Lavi is a fabulous and complex anti-heroine. Music, sets and costumes, all contribute to make the movie a very satisfying (and bizarre) viewing experience. Plus, who could dislike a movie with such an enticing title?

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
The Whip and the Body, 25 July 2007

Author: Scarecrow-88 from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

The suicide of a jilted fiancé holds a scar over the House of Menliff as the black sheep who left her returns, Kurt(Christopher Lee, who is simply outstanding in his limited presence..even dubbed he holds you under his ominous spell)wanting to reclaim his heritage, but receiving scorn from his ailing father(Gustavo De Nardo). His real lover, and sadomasochistic partner, Nevenka(the luscious, ravishing Daliah Lavi)has married his brother Christian(Tony Kendall)who Kurt has always hated. Christian is the caring, straight-as-an-arrow son..the direct opposite of Kurt who seems to cast a malignant shadow over his family. Kurt and Nevenka carry on their passion in a scene where he slashes her with a horse whip and we see that she likes it very much. There's a history of this as we can see. She claims to hate him, but he's perhaps merely a male mirror image of her own ugly side she tries to hold imprisoned in herself. Someone kills Kurt with a dagger..the very dagger that was used by the love he left to stab herself with. This death will haunt the rest of the characters as Kurt reappears to Nevenka setting of a growing madness in her as no one else seems to see his presence, but her. When the patriarch, Count Menliff is killed by the same dagger in the same fashion as Kurt, the idea that Kurt's ghost has returned becomes a looming, frightening possibility. Among the other melodramas, Christian is actually in love with servant girl Katia(Ida Galli), maid Giorgia's(Harriet Medin, the mother of the female suicide that Kurt left to suffer)daughter. Losat(Luciano Pigozzi)is the manservant spooked by the terrifying circumstances emerging after Kurt's demise is often walking the grounds and family mausoleum expecting to find specters. We also call into question whether Kurt's ghost is real or simply imagined by a grieve-stricken(..and guilt-stricken)Nevenka harboring a secret love for the murdered aristocrat and now coming face to face with the inequities she's kept buried inside.

Fantastic Gothic masterpiece from one of our treasured Horror directors..the lush color photography is jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring. Every frame of this film looks like it was lifted from one painting or another. Superb uses of red and green, especially when Lee's "ghost" appears to Nevenka. Sure, the whipping S&M aspect adds a naughty flavor to the proceedings, but it's the way Bava brings this castle setting to life with his camera and artistic eye that makes this such a pleasure to behold. I loved how Bava returns to the muddy boots and the prints they leave behind without showing who is treading the floors with them. I think this is Bava's finest film. I hope in time(..and I believe it already is starting to gain an official..and rightfully deserved..following)this film will be mentioned more and more as a classic horror film to be seen. It really is a Gothic horror fan's wet dream. Great atmospheric trappings are benefited by a grand, sweeping score.

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Bava + Lee= Greatness!!!!, 9 April 2007

Author: Count_Fistfuldollars from the castle of freaks, Tryansalabamia

Mario Bava is my favorite director. Christopher Lee is one of my favorite actors. I think that "Whip and the Body" is one the finest movies either Bava or Lee ever made.

Lee plays a noble man who enjoys torturing his family with a whip for his own pleaser. His name spreads fear and even when he dies his reign of terror is not over, he simply comes back as a ghost. Yes. More than 20 years before Clive Barker brought S&M to horror cinema with the first "Hellraiser" Bava had his own little foray into the subject. This man truly was a genius! As expected Lee gives an outstanding performance as does the rest of the cast. But perhaps the greatest aspect of "Whip and the Body" is Bava's fluid camera work. Bava is well know for being a master at moving his camera, be it in "Bay of Blood" or "Kill Baby Kill", it truly was his greatest strength. Personally I the Bava did his best camera work in this film. This is truly a masterpiece and a must see for all.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Whip and the Body, 1 March 2008
Author: MichaelElliott1 from Louisville, KY

Whip and the Body, The (1963)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Christopher Lee plays a sadistic nobleman who returns home to terrorize his family after leaving home years earlier after forcing his girlfriend to commit suicide. Soon he is found dead with his throat slit and soon after he ghost begins to appear as more bodies start to pile up. All the praise thrown on director Bava is certainly needed because it's obvious he could take some mud and make it look wonderful but that doesn't mean all his films turn out great. I think the biggest flaw with this film is the rather weak story, which doesn't really contain any shocks and it's fairly simple to figure out what's going on so in the end, when the climax happens, there's no real shocks. Christopher Lee turns in a terrific performance, even though, for some reason, his voice is dubbed in the English language version. That fantastic look that Lee brings says all we need to know about his character. The supporting cast isn't as impressive but they fit their roles just fine. The cinematography is top notch and the use of lighting is also what makes this film stand apart from others in this era.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
A Top-Notch Gothic Horror From Mario Bava, 24 February 2008

Author: ferbs54 from United States

The director's credit at the beginning of 1963's "The Whip and the Body" is for somebody named John M. Old, but the film's deliciously morbid atmosphere and superb use of lighting quickly attest that the director here can really be none other than Italian master Mario Bava. His third horror masterpiece in four years, following the seminal works "Black Sunday" and "The Evil Eye," "Whip" tells the story of Kurt Menliff, a sadistic brute who returns to his father's moldering castle by the sea in a nameless, timeless land and renews his sadomasochistic relationship with sister-in-law Nevenka...even after he himself is murdered! But has Kurt's ghost really returned from the grave, or is this all a figment of Nevenka's obsessed mind? Suggesting nothing less than an Italian Gothic version of a Harlequin romance as written by the Marquis de Sade, "Whip" features impeccable acting by Christopher Lee as Kurt (one of his best roles, he long maintained, despite the fact that he is offscreen half the time) and Israeli actress Dahlia Lavi (who I've never seen look more beautiful) as the masochistic, lash-loving Nevenka. The film is deliberately paced for maximum atmosphere, and Bava's camera work and pools of lurid lighting really are things of beauty to behold. Matching the stunning visuals perfectly is a lush, romantic score by Carlo Rustichelli that, in a just universe, would be recognized as a classic on the order of "Lara's Theme" from "Doctor Zhivago." This gorgeous composition for piano and strings gently surges through the film and adds immeasurably to its already moody, dreamlike aura. The great-looking DVD from VCI that I just watched features the full European cut of "The Whip and the Body," with all the (once controversial, now fairly tame) S&M whippings intact. The film has been excellently dubbed, and comes with a raft of fine extras. It is a perfect picture for the discriminating horror fan looking for a challenging, beautiful entertainment. Highly recommended.

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