The Story of O (1975) Histoire d'O (original title)

Director:

Just Jaeckin

Writers:

Dominique Aury (novel)
Sébastien Japrisot

Release Date:

14 November 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The Masterpiece of Bizarre Love That Stormed France. A Portrait of Love and Submission to Disorder the Senses

Plot:

The beautiful O is taken by her boyfriend, Rene, to a bizarre retreat, where she is trained in bondage and sexual perversion...

Plot Keywords:

Bondage | Perversion | Sexual Perversion | Photographer | Black Maid

Cast

Corinne Cléry	...	O
Udo Kier	...	Rene
Anthony Steel	...	Sir Stephen
Jean Gaven	...	Pierre
Christiane Minazzoli	...	Anne-Marie
Martine Kelly	...	Therese
Jean-Pierre Andréani	...	Eric, master II
Gabriel Cattand	...	The commander
Li Sellgren	...	Jacqueline (a model)
Albane Navizet	...	Andree
Nadine Perles	...	Jeanne
Laure Moutoussamy	...	Norah, the maid
Henri Piégay	...	Master I
Alain Noury	...	Ivan
Florence Cayrol	...	Yvonne (as Jehanne Blaise)
Eva Carson	...	Monique
Sylvie Olivier	...	Claire
Bernard Jeantet	...	Florent
Jean-François Mathieu	...	Regis
Stéphane Macha	...	Georges
Vladimir Brajovic	...	Master III
Judith Novak	...	Madeline
Gabriel Briand	...	Master lV
Alain Jarry
Caroline Baudry
Puce
Vibeke Knudsen	...	Model in photo-studio
Roger Trapp
Pin Pin
Michèle Montel	...	Narrator (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Schootemeyer	...	Master V (uncredited)

Directed by
Just Jaeckin

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Dominique Aury		novel (as Pauline Réage)
Sébastien Japrisot

Produced by
Claude Giroux	....	associate producer
Gérard Lorin	....	producer
Éric Rochat	....	executive producer
Éric Rochat	....	producer

Original Music by
Pierre Bachelet

Cinematography by
Robert Fraisse
Yves Rodallec

Film Editing by
Francine Pierre

Art Direction by
Jean-Baptiste Poirot

Set Decoration by
Olivier Paultre

Costume Design by
Tan Giudicelli

Makeup Department
Patrick Ales	....	hair stylist
Aïda Carange	....	makeup artist
Florence Fouquier D'Herouel	....	makeup artist (as Florence Fouquier)
Eric Wackers	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Roger Fleytoux	....	production manager
Sylvain Hecht	....	unit manager
François Menny	....	unit manager
Patrick Poubel	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
André Delacroix	....	assistant director
Christine Gozlan	....	assistant director
Jean-Louis Lapassade	....	assistant director
Yvon Sassiaud	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Catherine Dubeau	....	sound editor
J.C. Duval	....	sound
Jean-Pierre Lelong	....	sound effects
Élisabeth Parnière	....	sound editor
Gina Pignier	....	sound editor
Claude Plouganou	....	sound editor
Alex Pront	....	sound
Laurent Quaglio	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Georges Pierre	....	still photographer
Yves Rodallec	....	camera operator

Music Department
Matt Camison	....	music arranger
Matt Camison	....	musical director

Other crew
Colette Crochot	....	script supervisor
Jean-Philippe Dupont	....	location manager

Production Companies

• A.D. Creation
• S.N. Prodis
• Somerville House
• Terra-Filmkunst
• Yang Films

Distributors

• Allied Artists Pictures (1975) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Concorde Film (1975) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Artisan Entertainment
• Ventura Distribution

Other Companies

• Cerruti 1881  costumes
• Dinh Van  jewellery

Also Known As:

"Histoire d'O" - France (original title)

MPAA:

Rated NC-17 for explicit sexuality

Runtime:

Australia:105 min (2000 uncut re-release) | USA:97 min

Country:

France | West Germany | Canada

Language:

French | English | Polish

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:R | Canada:R | Denmark:16 | Finland:(Banned) | Netherlands:18 | New Zealand:R18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:NC-17 | USA:X (original rating) | West Germany:18 | Norway:18 (video) (1987) | New Zealand:(Banned) (1978-2003) (cinema release) | Norway:(Banned) (1978-2003) (cinema release)

Company:

A.D. Creation

Trivia:

Christopher Lee turned down the role of Sir Stephen.

Movie Connections:

References Emmanuelle (1974)

For masochists only

I admit I know little about the S+M/B+D lifestyle, but if this is any indication, it must be kind of like being in a bad European "art" film. This is one movie that truly does not deserve its notorious reputation(either in the negative or positive sense). It's just your typical silly and pretentious 70's Eurotrash. It is slightly less boring than the director's previous "Emmannuelle" (1974) but only slightly. The lead (and only conceivable reason to watch this nonsense) is Corrine Clery,who was later a second-string Bond girl eaten by vicious dobermans in "Moonraker". Clery spends most of the movie naked and being whipped by various men and women. This certainly sounds pretty sordid, but the movie (tastefully?) never shows the whip actually hitting her. And though she is almost constantly being flogged, there never seems to be a mark on her on her perpetually on-display body. She is also passed around by various men, but the sex scenes are even more circumspect than the whipping scenes. I'd enjoy watching Clery doing anything naked(mowing the lawn, painting a fence, digging a garden), but there's just nothing especially exciting here. Mostly, the movie consists of cheesy dialogue and idiotic libertine philosophizing. I don't know if you have to be a sadist to enjoy it, but you definitely have to be a masochist to sit through it.