Seduction: The Cruel Woman (1985)
"Verführung: Die grausame Frau" (original title)

Wanda ist von Berufs wegen grausam. Ihre Spezialitaet: das Erfinden von Fallen fuer ihre Liebhaber/innen. Gregor, der romantische Schwaermer, wird aus seinem Traum gerissen. Justine, die ... See full summary »

Directors:

Elfi Mikesch, Monika Treut

Writers:

Elfi Mikesch (screenplay), Monika Treut (screenplay),

Stars:

Mechthild Grossmann, Udo Kier, Sheila McLaughlin

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Mechthild Grossmann	...	Wanda
Udo Kier	...	Gregor
Sheila McLaughlin	...	Justine
Carola Regnier	...	Caren
Peter Weibel	...	Herr Maehrsch
Georgette Dee	...	Friederike
Judith Flex	...	Judith
Barbara Ossenkopp	...	Leila
John Erdman	...	Customer
Daniela Ziegler	...	Mutter
Katorka Takerka	...	Tochter
Karin Roewer-Nennemann	...	Saleswoman
George Lannan	...	Old Man
Juerg Schlachter	...	Young Man

Storyline

Wanda ist von Berufs wegen grausam. Ihre Spezialitaet: das Erfinden von Fallen fuer ihre Liebhaber/innen. Gregor, der romantische Schwaermer, wird aus seinem Traum gerissen. Justine, die naive Unschuld aus Uebersee, muss lernen, dass auch die Leidenschaft eine Illusion ist. Herr Maehrsch, ein Journalist, will ein Interview mit Wanda und lernt dabei etwas ueber seine verborgenen Wunesche. Nur Caren weiss, worum es geht. Deshalb spielt sie auch bald keine Rolle mehr. (aus dem Prorammheft Max-Ophuels-Preis 1995) "Aufregenderes, subversiveres, seltsameres Kino wird man so bald bei uns nicht mehr zu sehen bekommen." (H.C. Blumenberg, die Zeit)

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Plot Keywords:

dominatrix | lesbian | s&m | expressionist | title directed by female | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

3 November 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Seduction: The Cruel Woman

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hyena Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Fujicolor)

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of Venus in Furs (1995)

User Reviews

Seductive video clip-style erotic drama

A very stylish German film about a Hamburg art gallery owner and S&M domina who is giving "performances" with her slaves and maids in front of a selling audience. Unfortunately her favorite slave is falling in love with her. This movie, directed by two women, is an interesting and inspiring study about fatal love, sex, dependence, seduction and sensibility.

There are not many dialogues and much action involved, but many silent sequences and erotic moments that are standing on their own. The colors, settings and photography are lush and stimulating and sometimes appear like an MTV video clip setting of a 1980's Duran Duran, George Michael or Madonna pop song. There are also many literature influences involved. Based on the Leopold von Sacher-Masoch drama "Venus in Furs", there are also scenes or names taken from Marquis de Sade's "Justine" and "The 120 days of Sodom" and Octave Mirbeau's "The garden of delight".

As the directors try to give different view points from the domina, her maid and two slaves, the story is a bit difficult to follow sometimes, and in some moments because of the lack of any tempo simply boring. But at least this movie could have been an important influence on Adrian Lyne's box selling hit "9 1/2 weeks" which was produced one year later.

For the movie buffs amongst you: the dialogue coach of this production was Sandra Nettelbeck, later becoming a movie director ("Drei Sterne"). The stylish settings were produced by Xenia Katzenstein who was playing "Frau Sommer" in a well-know German TV coffee advert series in the seventies ("Jacobs Kroenung") - a rather conservative role model. Unbelievable but true.