- Awards
- 1 win & 1 nomination
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Featured review
Cadinot Turns Rustic and Runs Out of Steam
Recently deceased, revered erotic photographer turned gay porn luminary Jean-Daniel Cadinot seemed to have bitten off a bit more than he could chew (ouch !) with this ambitious period piece, set somewhere in the '30s if clothes and hairstyles are any indication. His talents may have been manifold but any attempt at narrative complexity was clearly beyond his grasp (and, indeed, rarely attempted), resulting in an unusually sedate work cripplingly bereft of dramatic purpose or any drive beyond the sexual. His best films focused on amplified emotions, such as the vengeful melodramatics of L'AMOUR JALOUX or the simmering violence just below the surface of LES MINETS SAUVAGES. The single example thereof in LE DESIR EN BALLADE comes courtesy of diminutive yet diabolical Elyes Ardini (whose forceful manner would serve him well in the military themed SERVICE ACTIF 2) as the wicked brother of simpering Jean-François Chambon who makes for a rather damp central presence once his sick sibling is out of the picture. The movie's hottest scene by far is a flashback to Chambon's semi-unwilling initiation at the hands and groins of Ardini and horse-hung buddy Jean-Jacques Elineau in a sun-drenched attic. Other than that, the sex operates on a rather lower amp than Cadinot has made audiences accustomed to.
In his most consistent role for the director, dusky-skinned Gilles Barthélémy (who would provide solid support until 1994's LES MINETS DE L'INFO, making him as close to a contract player as Cadinot ever employed) provides the catalyst as the dog-accompanied drifter who inspires Chambon's long overdue emancipation, primarily by introducing his liquorice member into the boy's rectal cavity. Hey, it works for me ! Good acting has never been one of gay porn's more obvious trademarks compared to the industry's straight side and, unfortunately, Cadinot proves no exception to this rule. Ardini's searing intensity is sorely missed once bro' and hobo hit the dirt road. They stop at a farm inhabited by yummy Assan Ariana, from the director's minor LA MAIN AU FEU, who performs solid if not particularly memorable back to back scenes with his village lover Jean-François Beaufort and greengrocer Angelo Despaz, whose freshly delivered vegetable basket is put to immediate use when our errant twosome joins their horny host in the kitchen ! Bruno De Walberg, who appeared in the half hour featurette ESCALIER DE SERVICE, brings up the rear as a rich kid who puts them up for the night while his parents are conveniently absent.
Not the sprawling epic it was intended to be, an ambition he came close to achieving with his subsequent LES GAMINS DE Paris, this movie still shows off some of Cadinot's undeniable strengths as a gay pornographer, especially in setting up sexual situations, creating tension by matching socially uneven participants like the spoiled rich kids and their long-suffering domestics who have to comply to their every whim. On a technical level, few fornication filmmakers can compete with the intricacy of his oft-admired insertion shots, something that seems a given within this genre but has rarely been accomplished with such verve by any of Cadinot's rivals, few if any at that time in France. His regular composer Myriam Zadeck, who scored all of his shot on film classics, contributes a wistful theme perfectly in tune with the the movie's countryside setting where time seems to stand still, a quality unfortunately extending to a narrative which all but disintegrates about halfway through. Goodnight, J.D., may you make them horny in Heaven for all eternity. Rest in peace, Maestro !
In his most consistent role for the director, dusky-skinned Gilles Barthélémy (who would provide solid support until 1994's LES MINETS DE L'INFO, making him as close to a contract player as Cadinot ever employed) provides the catalyst as the dog-accompanied drifter who inspires Chambon's long overdue emancipation, primarily by introducing his liquorice member into the boy's rectal cavity. Hey, it works for me ! Good acting has never been one of gay porn's more obvious trademarks compared to the industry's straight side and, unfortunately, Cadinot proves no exception to this rule. Ardini's searing intensity is sorely missed once bro' and hobo hit the dirt road. They stop at a farm inhabited by yummy Assan Ariana, from the director's minor LA MAIN AU FEU, who performs solid if not particularly memorable back to back scenes with his village lover Jean-François Beaufort and greengrocer Angelo Despaz, whose freshly delivered vegetable basket is put to immediate use when our errant twosome joins their horny host in the kitchen ! Bruno De Walberg, who appeared in the half hour featurette ESCALIER DE SERVICE, brings up the rear as a rich kid who puts them up for the night while his parents are conveniently absent.
Not the sprawling epic it was intended to be, an ambition he came close to achieving with his subsequent LES GAMINS DE Paris, this movie still shows off some of Cadinot's undeniable strengths as a gay pornographer, especially in setting up sexual situations, creating tension by matching socially uneven participants like the spoiled rich kids and their long-suffering domestics who have to comply to their every whim. On a technical level, few fornication filmmakers can compete with the intricacy of his oft-admired insertion shots, something that seems a given within this genre but has rarely been accomplished with such verve by any of Cadinot's rivals, few if any at that time in France. His regular composer Myriam Zadeck, who scored all of his shot on film classics, contributes a wistful theme perfectly in tune with the the movie's countryside setting where time seems to stand still, a quality unfortunately extending to a narrative which all but disintegrates about halfway through. Goodnight, J.D., may you make them horny in Heaven for all eternity. Rest in peace, Maestro !
helpful•72
- Nodriesrespect
- Jul 4, 2008
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Travelling Journeymen
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime2 hours
- Color
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content