The Defiance of Good is a "roughie" of the story lead variety...though it's pretty much your basic 'girl goes to correctional institute, but doesn't really get corrected' kind of story. This film is most definitely a cut above most of the roughie stuff that I've seen (though I can't profess to have seen a great deal) as the production values are high for this sort of thing, and the acting isn't terrible either. Naturally, the most important thing about the film is the hardcore action, and there's no shortage of it - the film features rape, S&M, hints of lesbianism and more. To be honest, lead actress Jean Jennings didn't do much for me, though her performance is decent. The film does feature a foreboding atmosphere, and while the sex in many of these films takes up to much of the running time and often has no actual relevance to the plot; here it's mostly used in a way that benefits the film. The film also features a performance from Fred Lincoln - whom fans of The Last House on the Left will recognise, and director Armand Weston went on to direct one of my favourite seventies trash flicks with The Taking of Christina a year after he made this film. I can't say that I'm a massive fan of The Defiance of Good, but it is good for what it is and I'm sure that fans of this stuff will enjoy it.
10 Reviews
Nicely plotted, classy and likable hardcore effort
Bloodwank31 August 2011
When watching a film like this I don't expect much, pretty much just filth and maybe bad taste chuckles. The Defiance of Good therefore really wrong footed me by being an ultimately upbeat and pleasurable outing, although to be fair it does spend some time in the gutter. It tells of the unfortunate Cathy (Jean Jennings) who gets busted by her mom on her first time trying cocaine, which proves so traumatic to dear mama that she simply has to send her daughter to a mental asylum for observation. As one might expect, said asylum isn't exactly a place of peace and understanding so young Cathy leaps at the chance to recuperate at the facility of a pleasant seeming Dr Gabriel. She should have paid more attention though, as this Dr. Gabriel happens to be played by Fred "Weasel" Lincoln (its the same stupidity of anyone inviting David Hess to a house party), so things still ain't exactly roses. But in an unconventional way things all wind up on the bright side. The message seems to be a clear one, systems of control as represented by middle class paranoia and medical institutions are a grim and needless restriction upon those that they intend to protect, and only by accepting, even revelling in that which is forbidden can one be truly free. Which is not, it has to be said, a philosophically sound message, but here it works as a means of cutting through some basic absurdities and social ills that are clearly recognisable as such. Plus its always sweet to see a lovely young lady embracing the dark side, gotta love that dark side. Message aside, this is mostly just plain cool stuff. Director Armand Weston shows a real flair for the sinister in scenes involving Cathy and her fellow inmates, scenes of sexual violence (particularly a gang rape) are enhanced by rocking guitar and there's some very funny dialogue including the gem of a post rape exchange "Why didn't you tell the nurse you needed a Tampax?" "Because that's not menstrual blood!". Jean Jennings alternates between convincing and amusingly hammy but makes up for any lapses with sheer beauty, Day Jason is equally easy on the eye as her friend, while Fred Lincoln is a pleasure as unconventional psychiatrist cum sex guru Dr. Gabriel, a wise authoritarian perv who somehow made me think of a high monk from an old school kung fu flick. His chief assistant deserves a mention too, can't act worth a damn but she wields a whip like a goddess. I could have done with a lot more disciplinary action in the second half (no geometry sweeter than welts on a pure young ass) but things move at such a blissful clip that I wasn't too irritated. And the sex is all pretty hot, which counts for a lot. Overall this is well worth a look for genre fans, good sexy and seamy stuff even though it ain't earth shattering or anything.
Coerced into defying good
jaibo30 December 2009
Warning: Spoilers
The so-called "roughies" of the exploitation era – sex films with a high quotient of coercion and sexual violence – are amongst the most problematic of the films of the era for a contemporary audience. What doubtlessly went down a treat in the Grindhouse cinemas of Times Square strikes any sensitive modern view are distasteful and reactionary. Armand Weston's is one of the most technically accomplished of these films, yet despite its finesse, its sexual politics made it uncomfortable viewing.
Cathy is an average American teenager (the actress playing her is a little too mature for the role) whose Christian parents persuade her to spend a couple of weeks in a mental institution for observation after they discover that she occasionally smokes marijuana and has tried cocaine. The institution is a proper madhouse, a cross between an old time bedlam and the kind of 20th century institution exposed/exploited by Sam Fuller in Shock Corridor. The doctors are authoritarian and uncaring, the orderlies are abusive and the inmates are complete and utter loons. No sooner has Cathy been inappropriately and intimately searched in every orifice by her burly black male nurse than she is put into the "day room" with as berserk a bunch of nuts as could be imagined. They gibber, stare, indulge in paranoid fantasies, act out sexually and intimidate the newcomer. This sequence is very weird and well-shot, all Dutch angles, extreme close-ups and fish-eyed lenses overlaid by appropriately spooky synthesiser sounds. It is also bleakly funny, as when an inmate approaches Cathy and introduces himself as a poet, inheritor of the mantle of Blake, Baudelaire and Rimbaud; he then speaks a poem, which consists simply of the work "f**k" chanted increasingly loudly and uncontrollably. Moments like this feel like we're in John Waters territory.
The nurse rescues Cathy in the nick of time from being raped in the day room, a salvaging which is undermined by her being actually raped by three inmates that evening, in the very next scene. This is the first extended hardcore session in the film (about 20 minutes in). There can be few cinematic sights as unedifying as seeing hardcore performers enact a gang rape, although at least on this occasion to victim does not come to enjoy it. The nurse intervenes again and chases off her assailants, but is merely irritated that he didn't get to take Cathy's virginity first. This is a typical moment in a film which, at every turn, seeks to undermine the idea that human beings can have empathic or caring feelings towards others. It is notable that both the nurse and one of Cathy's inmate assailants are black and with both men we don't get to see their sexual organs or any actual penetration of the actress (we do with the white actors). It is unclear why this should be (the film post-dates Behind the Green Door which contained an extended interracial coupling).
Cathy's complaint to her doctor about the rape is taken as more evidence that she is deranged. She finds herself transferred to a private asylum run by a sinister old grey-beard, Dr Gabriel. Far from being the caring resort that Cathy needs and expects, Gabriel turns out predictably to be running a sex cult which inducts – through torture, whipping, rape and isolation – its young, female inmates into some twisted form of sexual liberation. The film becomes much more of a normal porn flick about this point (around 40 mins in), with threesomes, orgies, girl-on-girl and "sadie max" numbers interspersed in the genre-typical ways identified by Linda Williams in her seminal study Hardcore. These numbers are punctuated by scenes of Gabriel – who never himself joins in the sex – explaining the rules of his cult and how he came to form it; he was a preacher's son and failed pastor who turned from god to debauchery, so as in certain other films of the period (e.g. The Devil Inside Her) extreme sex is shown as a reaction to Puritan repression.
By the end of her initiation, Cathy is showing clear signs of Stockholm Syndrome, as although she is now free to leave the cult, the threat that this would mean never being allowed to return makes her fear – this is now a place in which she feels safe. The films odd mix of reactionary sexual political and radical interrogation of the notion of self is apparent here. Cathy's self is formed by the experiences she has been put through, there is hardly a core person there; yet the film's narrative worryingly maintains that a woman's sexual awakening can be encouraged by the forced coercion into sexual inhibition by others. At the close of the narrative, Cathy discovers that the friend who introduced her to drugs is a new initiate – her distress persuades Cathy to help her escape (but Cathy will stay herself), but this is a set-up – the friend was Gabriel's minion from the start. The last shot Cathy waiting for further punishment for this transgression into empathy. It seems that the cult won't be satisfied until Cathy's entire life is pursued in, as the title suggests, "the defiance of good." The acting is often risible, although Jean Jennings as Cathy is convincingly unconvinced that what is happening is in her own best interests throughout. Weston's script has plenty of plot-holes and silliness, yet his camera direction is stylish and intriguing throughout. He composes intelligently – when Gabriel speaks about the cult headquarters being in eternity, outside time and space, Weston slyly keeps a toilet in shot, undermining the idea that human bodies can escape temporal and physical facts. His direction makes the film, despite its repellent content, witty and constantly worth watching, suggesting he's one of those rare masters of cinema style (alongside Damiano, Metzger, de Rome and Toby Ross) working during the golden age of porn.
Cathy is an average American teenager (the actress playing her is a little too mature for the role) whose Christian parents persuade her to spend a couple of weeks in a mental institution for observation after they discover that she occasionally smokes marijuana and has tried cocaine. The institution is a proper madhouse, a cross between an old time bedlam and the kind of 20th century institution exposed/exploited by Sam Fuller in Shock Corridor. The doctors are authoritarian and uncaring, the orderlies are abusive and the inmates are complete and utter loons. No sooner has Cathy been inappropriately and intimately searched in every orifice by her burly black male nurse than she is put into the "day room" with as berserk a bunch of nuts as could be imagined. They gibber, stare, indulge in paranoid fantasies, act out sexually and intimidate the newcomer. This sequence is very weird and well-shot, all Dutch angles, extreme close-ups and fish-eyed lenses overlaid by appropriately spooky synthesiser sounds. It is also bleakly funny, as when an inmate approaches Cathy and introduces himself as a poet, inheritor of the mantle of Blake, Baudelaire and Rimbaud; he then speaks a poem, which consists simply of the work "f**k" chanted increasingly loudly and uncontrollably. Moments like this feel like we're in John Waters territory.
The nurse rescues Cathy in the nick of time from being raped in the day room, a salvaging which is undermined by her being actually raped by three inmates that evening, in the very next scene. This is the first extended hardcore session in the film (about 20 minutes in). There can be few cinematic sights as unedifying as seeing hardcore performers enact a gang rape, although at least on this occasion to victim does not come to enjoy it. The nurse intervenes again and chases off her assailants, but is merely irritated that he didn't get to take Cathy's virginity first. This is a typical moment in a film which, at every turn, seeks to undermine the idea that human beings can have empathic or caring feelings towards others. It is notable that both the nurse and one of Cathy's inmate assailants are black and with both men we don't get to see their sexual organs or any actual penetration of the actress (we do with the white actors). It is unclear why this should be (the film post-dates Behind the Green Door which contained an extended interracial coupling).
Cathy's complaint to her doctor about the rape is taken as more evidence that she is deranged. She finds herself transferred to a private asylum run by a sinister old grey-beard, Dr Gabriel. Far from being the caring resort that Cathy needs and expects, Gabriel turns out predictably to be running a sex cult which inducts – through torture, whipping, rape and isolation – its young, female inmates into some twisted form of sexual liberation. The film becomes much more of a normal porn flick about this point (around 40 mins in), with threesomes, orgies, girl-on-girl and "sadie max" numbers interspersed in the genre-typical ways identified by Linda Williams in her seminal study Hardcore. These numbers are punctuated by scenes of Gabriel – who never himself joins in the sex – explaining the rules of his cult and how he came to form it; he was a preacher's son and failed pastor who turned from god to debauchery, so as in certain other films of the period (e.g. The Devil Inside Her) extreme sex is shown as a reaction to Puritan repression.
By the end of her initiation, Cathy is showing clear signs of Stockholm Syndrome, as although she is now free to leave the cult, the threat that this would mean never being allowed to return makes her fear – this is now a place in which she feels safe. The films odd mix of reactionary sexual political and radical interrogation of the notion of self is apparent here. Cathy's self is formed by the experiences she has been put through, there is hardly a core person there; yet the film's narrative worryingly maintains that a woman's sexual awakening can be encouraged by the forced coercion into sexual inhibition by others. At the close of the narrative, Cathy discovers that the friend who introduced her to drugs is a new initiate – her distress persuades Cathy to help her escape (but Cathy will stay herself), but this is a set-up – the friend was Gabriel's minion from the start. The last shot Cathy waiting for further punishment for this transgression into empathy. It seems that the cult won't be satisfied until Cathy's entire life is pursued in, as the title suggests, "the defiance of good." The acting is often risible, although Jean Jennings as Cathy is convincingly unconvinced that what is happening is in her own best interests throughout. Weston's script has plenty of plot-holes and silliness, yet his camera direction is stylish and intriguing throughout. He composes intelligently – when Gabriel speaks about the cult headquarters being in eternity, outside time and space, Weston slyly keeps a toilet in shot, undermining the idea that human bodies can escape temporal and physical facts. His direction makes the film, despite its repellent content, witty and constantly worth watching, suggesting he's one of those rare masters of cinema style (alongside Damiano, Metzger, de Rome and Toby Ross) working during the golden age of porn.
Another Well-Made And "Artistic" XXX Entry...
EVOL66621 December 2006
Warning: Spoilers
THE DEFIANCE OF GOOD has pretty much everything I like in these 70s era porn outings - a good storyline, decent acting, convincing camera-work, a strong (if disjointed) score...and of course - a good bit of sleaze. I especially dig this one because it contains elements of some of the more fetishistic entries that I enjoy from the notable (but often far less "realized") "roughie" films of the same era.
Cathy is sent to a psyche-ward by her parents after they catch her dabbling with drugs. Once there, the depravity begins as Cathy, an average "teenager" dealing with the normal teenage pressures and life-decisions is thrown in with a bunch of truly demented individuals. It isn't long before our poor heroine becomes privvy to, and (unwilling) participant in scenarios that her virginal vessel has never experienced. She bears witness to all sorts of strange characters and is even gang-raped during her "rehabilitation". Enter Fred Lincoln (of LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT fame), a kindly doctor who "rescues" Cathy from the abuse and brings her to his private dwelling, only to involve her in a whole new level of sexual training. But outside of the sterile rehab confines, Cathy opens up and discovers a sexual awakening at the hands of Lincoln's cult-like devotees, and experiences a maturation of both mind, and especially body, that I would bet her parents didn't plan on...
THE DEFIANCE OF GOOD is one of those rare XXX outings that you really have to view as true piece of cinema as opposed to just a trashy pussy-fest. Of course there is a good bit of hardcore action that will keep the interest of those of us that dig sex-films, but if you go into this one only looking for that aspect, you'll probably be bored. Luckily, for these types of films I actually prefer a bit of storyline, so DEFIANCE was a winner for me. The sex scenes are relatively hot, but nothing overly note-worthy, but the storyline and acting carry this one. Reminiscent to other "smart" and story-driven pornos such as THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, THE DEVIL IN MISS JONES, THE OPENING OF MISTY BEETHOVEN and several others - THE DEFIANCE OF GOOD should be sought out by those that are tired of the average porn material on the market currently. And don't fret scumbags - this one is not only smart and story driven, but there's rape and S&M action to boot! I especially liked the "twist ending" (which was a bit like the "smack in the face" ending of ABDUCTION OF LORELEI) at the conclusion of the film, as it shows that the film-makers actually took the time to link all of the plot-points together. My only real gripe - although the score of the film is really good, it felt out-of-place during certain scenes, and I personally could have used some either hotter or sleazier sex scenes. Definitely worth pursuing for "golden-age" porn fans...8.5/10
Cathy is sent to a psyche-ward by her parents after they catch her dabbling with drugs. Once there, the depravity begins as Cathy, an average "teenager" dealing with the normal teenage pressures and life-decisions is thrown in with a bunch of truly demented individuals. It isn't long before our poor heroine becomes privvy to, and (unwilling) participant in scenarios that her virginal vessel has never experienced. She bears witness to all sorts of strange characters and is even gang-raped during her "rehabilitation". Enter Fred Lincoln (of LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT fame), a kindly doctor who "rescues" Cathy from the abuse and brings her to his private dwelling, only to involve her in a whole new level of sexual training. But outside of the sterile rehab confines, Cathy opens up and discovers a sexual awakening at the hands of Lincoln's cult-like devotees, and experiences a maturation of both mind, and especially body, that I would bet her parents didn't plan on...
THE DEFIANCE OF GOOD is one of those rare XXX outings that you really have to view as true piece of cinema as opposed to just a trashy pussy-fest. Of course there is a good bit of hardcore action that will keep the interest of those of us that dig sex-films, but if you go into this one only looking for that aspect, you'll probably be bored. Luckily, for these types of films I actually prefer a bit of storyline, so DEFIANCE was a winner for me. The sex scenes are relatively hot, but nothing overly note-worthy, but the storyline and acting carry this one. Reminiscent to other "smart" and story-driven pornos such as THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, THE DEVIL IN MISS JONES, THE OPENING OF MISTY BEETHOVEN and several others - THE DEFIANCE OF GOOD should be sought out by those that are tired of the average porn material on the market currently. And don't fret scumbags - this one is not only smart and story driven, but there's rape and S&M action to boot! I especially liked the "twist ending" (which was a bit like the "smack in the face" ending of ABDUCTION OF LORELEI) at the conclusion of the film, as it shows that the film-makers actually took the time to link all of the plot-points together. My only real gripe - although the score of the film is really good, it felt out-of-place during certain scenes, and I personally could have used some either hotter or sleazier sex scenes. Definitely worth pursuing for "golden-age" porn fans...8.5/10
Underrated, Undisputable Classic for the Carnal Connoisseur
Nodriesrespect21 January 2006
One of the finest adult movies dealing with the murky subculture of sadomasochism, there has been some debate over its authorship. While credited director Armand Weston was certainly involved, the likes of producer Jason Russell (the most eloquent of the early free sex advocates with wife Tina who appears on the closing scroll as make-up assistant), male lead Fred Lincoln (a highly prolific filmmaker still working today) and even Vinnie Rossi (a modestly talented hack whose finest effort remains 1984's DESIRE) have all claimed responsibility at some point. Armand Weston was that porn rarity, not unlike the legendary Radley Metzger, a man who took his time to develop each project, exhibiting talent and concern at every stage. His most famous work remains the 1978 classic TAKE OFF, a glossy rendition of Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and a film that actually flopped on its initial theatrical run ! Mainstream (well, horror) audiences should owe him a debt of gratitude for an eerie little cult item entitled THE NESTING (1981) starring former femme fatale Gloria Grahame as the spectral madam of a haunted brothel.
Sweet little teenager Cathy Taylor (Jean Jennings, allegedly only 17 at the time and girlfriend of Hollywood character actor Joe Spinell, who was to become the stuff of legend himself as the star of Bill Lustig's MANIAC) has been caught taking her first hit of cocaine with her bad influence best friend Susan (Day Jason, the running gag secretary taking all the facial cum shots in Metzger's PRIVATE AFTERNOONS OF PAMELA MANN) by her strict religious mom, played by Holly Landis who bears a strong resemblance to Mink Stole. Ever the alarmist, with dad ("Roderick Usher") conveniently spineless, she has the girl committed to Eastwood General Hospital's psycho ward for observation. Look for a quick cameo by bisexual superstar Marc Stevens (nicknamed "10 ½" for reasons you won't find illustrated here) as one of the inmates in the very disturbing day room scene. Forbidden any contact with her parents, Cathy's submitted to strip search and group rape, events to which her unsympathetic physician Dr Hirsh (Kevin André, one of porndom's finest character players) remains blissfully ignorant. A visiting medic, the soft spoken Dr Gabriel (Fred Lincoln), offers her the chance to escape this hellhole if both she and her folks will agree to the girl being committed to his private clinic. This is the point where the film changes tone from gritty to Gothic and the S&M element really kicks in as Cathy's immediately told to obey every one of Gabriel's rules, no matter how seemingly arbitrary. Her initial resistance earns her a sound whipping from aptly named Nurse Kane (Brit-accented Heather Ellis, also in TEENAGE STEPMOTHER) who will later force herself on the shackled Cathy, a pivotal sequence where the girl transforms from victim to willing participant in her own submission. Some exquisitely erotic moments ensue with the accent on educating the ignorant about the seductive and highly ritualized nature of S&M rather than literally beating them round the head with a succession of floggings which is just the surface that often precludes people's understanding that this sort of relationship is really about trust and surrender between equal yet role-defined partners.
Arguably the best S&M themed adult films (THE STORY OF JOANNA, THE NAUGHTY VICTORIANS) are those that to a degree plead for an open mind rather than preach to the choir. The displays of "deviance" here play on an entirely different level than those found more commonly in Shaun Costello's Avon quickies which either repulse or rapidly degrade into silliness. Her education nearly complete (right after a show stopping three-way with a hardly recognizable Jamie Gillis and Sonny Landham, a memorable supporting player in Sly Stallone's LOCK UP), Cathy is given the choice of freedom with no possibility of ever returning or to stay on and help indoctrinate a new arrival. While detractors will be quick to blame the girl's decision on a major case of Stockholm Syndrome, it fits right in with the message Weston's trying to convey, with a nasty twist in the tail for good measure.
A mature masterpiece both in form and content, this movie deserves far better than the off-color reputation it has generally acquired over time, frequently and unfairly lumped together with the rest of the '70s roughies. Fans expecting a lot of physical harm inflicted upon its teen heroine will come away rather disappointed as the violence is far more psychological in nature. In this respect, Jennings' performance is nothing short of amazing, her every reaction totally credible. The actress, who would go on to gain notoriety in the Mitchell Brothers classic THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A FLEA (1975) and Zebedy Colt's VIRGIN DREAMS (1976), has never received proper credit for running through the whole gamut of emotions the part required with such complete conviction. Surely, few adult film actresses would've been capable enough to pull this off. And this was her debut, no less ! As her mentor (and tormentor), the far more seasoned Lincoln (a fixture since the early days of cinematic carnality, both as director and performer) matches her every step of the way, delivering his most disquieting achievement since playing Weasel in Wes Craven's official (non-adult) directorial debut LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (1972).
Sweet little teenager Cathy Taylor (Jean Jennings, allegedly only 17 at the time and girlfriend of Hollywood character actor Joe Spinell, who was to become the stuff of legend himself as the star of Bill Lustig's MANIAC) has been caught taking her first hit of cocaine with her bad influence best friend Susan (Day Jason, the running gag secretary taking all the facial cum shots in Metzger's PRIVATE AFTERNOONS OF PAMELA MANN) by her strict religious mom, played by Holly Landis who bears a strong resemblance to Mink Stole. Ever the alarmist, with dad ("Roderick Usher") conveniently spineless, she has the girl committed to Eastwood General Hospital's psycho ward for observation. Look for a quick cameo by bisexual superstar Marc Stevens (nicknamed "10 ½" for reasons you won't find illustrated here) as one of the inmates in the very disturbing day room scene. Forbidden any contact with her parents, Cathy's submitted to strip search and group rape, events to which her unsympathetic physician Dr Hirsh (Kevin André, one of porndom's finest character players) remains blissfully ignorant. A visiting medic, the soft spoken Dr Gabriel (Fred Lincoln), offers her the chance to escape this hellhole if both she and her folks will agree to the girl being committed to his private clinic. This is the point where the film changes tone from gritty to Gothic and the S&M element really kicks in as Cathy's immediately told to obey every one of Gabriel's rules, no matter how seemingly arbitrary. Her initial resistance earns her a sound whipping from aptly named Nurse Kane (Brit-accented Heather Ellis, also in TEENAGE STEPMOTHER) who will later force herself on the shackled Cathy, a pivotal sequence where the girl transforms from victim to willing participant in her own submission. Some exquisitely erotic moments ensue with the accent on educating the ignorant about the seductive and highly ritualized nature of S&M rather than literally beating them round the head with a succession of floggings which is just the surface that often precludes people's understanding that this sort of relationship is really about trust and surrender between equal yet role-defined partners.
Arguably the best S&M themed adult films (THE STORY OF JOANNA, THE NAUGHTY VICTORIANS) are those that to a degree plead for an open mind rather than preach to the choir. The displays of "deviance" here play on an entirely different level than those found more commonly in Shaun Costello's Avon quickies which either repulse or rapidly degrade into silliness. Her education nearly complete (right after a show stopping three-way with a hardly recognizable Jamie Gillis and Sonny Landham, a memorable supporting player in Sly Stallone's LOCK UP), Cathy is given the choice of freedom with no possibility of ever returning or to stay on and help indoctrinate a new arrival. While detractors will be quick to blame the girl's decision on a major case of Stockholm Syndrome, it fits right in with the message Weston's trying to convey, with a nasty twist in the tail for good measure.
A mature masterpiece both in form and content, this movie deserves far better than the off-color reputation it has generally acquired over time, frequently and unfairly lumped together with the rest of the '70s roughies. Fans expecting a lot of physical harm inflicted upon its teen heroine will come away rather disappointed as the violence is far more psychological in nature. In this respect, Jennings' performance is nothing short of amazing, her every reaction totally credible. The actress, who would go on to gain notoriety in the Mitchell Brothers classic THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A FLEA (1975) and Zebedy Colt's VIRGIN DREAMS (1976), has never received proper credit for running through the whole gamut of emotions the part required with such complete conviction. Surely, few adult film actresses would've been capable enough to pull this off. And this was her debut, no less ! As her mentor (and tormentor), the far more seasoned Lincoln (a fixture since the early days of cinematic carnality, both as director and performer) matches her every step of the way, delivering his most disquieting achievement since playing Weasel in Wes Craven's official (non-adult) directorial debut LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (1972).
Frightening, skilfully directed classic of torture and submission
fertilecelluloid23 December 2005
Warning: Spoilers
This is a truly powerful piece of cinema that also happens to be X-rated. Armond Weston is an accomplished director and made the subtly effective horror film, "The Nesting", quite a few years after this. "The Defiance of Good" aka "The Defiance" is a pictorially and psychologically claustrophobic work that was a freak amongst its adult brethren, even back in 1975, because it looked like a real film and was anchored by a strong central performance (Jean Jennings). Sent to a hospital for psychos by her religious fanatic mother, Jennings (Cathy Taylor) is subjected to a volley of sexual and mental torture by various inmates and staff members of the hospital. Fred Lincoln, a staff doctor, rescues her from her hell, but the worst is yet to come when Lincoln isolates her so he can visit much more extreme abuse on her fragile body and mind. In the course of this brutal treatment, Jennings learns to enjoy Lincoln's abuse and becomes dependent on him. Echoing "The Story of O", the film is exceptionally well shot, scored and performed. Lincoln, who played a murderous miscreant in Wes Craven's "Last House on the Left" and forged his own career as a porn director after this watershed work, is frighteningly convincing as the "good" Dr. Gabriel. Anthony Spinelli, who wrote the fascinating script with Weston, became a successful porn director also. A classic.
certainly most enjoyable
christopher-underwood11 January 2007
This starts as if, as the title perhaps suggests, it is a Sadean tract. More than a little nasty too with, for me the unfortunate elements of parents foisting off their young daughter, tears and all. For about twenty minutes we suffer the girl's entry and first weeks in an insane asylum complete with rather ugly if realistic gang rape. There is then a rather good 'Story of O' period complete with shackles and whippings and talk producing a quasi religious feel to the pain/pleasure scenarios. The final section, after our young heroine has learned to love this discipline, instead of being some SM tour de force turns out to be group sex. It has to be said though that this is a tremendous and enthusiastic series of sessions full of seemingly tangible lustfulness and even if it is not where one might have expected this film to go, certainly most enjoyable.
One of the first S+M themed hardcore porn films
mindseye10011 February 2003
Armand Weston was no stranger to the domination/degradation styled hardcore genre, directing both "The Taking of Christina" and "A Dirty Western" a short time later, but it was with "The Defiance of Good" that he really put kinky sleaze on the map. Perhaps the greatest compliment I can give this film is that much of the terror is provided through psychological torture which is far harder to do competently than yet another cliched "whipping of the ass" scene. (Although the nasty stuff is certainly on display as well!) The performances really sell this aspect as well. Highly recomended. The AVN named this several years ago as "One of the greatest currently unavailable adult titles". I'm inclined to agree!
Not bad for hardcore porn
lazarillo12 February 2010
I am not a fan of hardcore porn (sure, they supposedly show "real" sex, but if real sex involved being two inches from Ron Jeremy's fat, hairy bunghole and sweaty, pistoning perineum, I would swear off it for life!). I do really like the pre-hardcore "roughie" films though, not because I'm a potential rapist or sexual sadist, but because they were genuine films with genuine drama made by filmmakers and actors who, while certainly low-budget and low-rent, had a modicum of actual talent. Hardcore films, on the other hand, are usually simply tedious documents of people having sex recorded by whatever visual medium happened to be on hand by people who have no talent whatsoever. There is rarely even the basic suspension of disbelief necessary to feel you are watching a real movie.
The best thing I can say about this film then is that if you took away the hardcore sex, it would be a fairly decent "roughie". And if you took away ALL the sex, you might even be able to pass it off as a 50's nd 60's-sytle "J.D." (juvenile delinquent) film (albeit a very short one). I won't re-hash the plot, but suffice it to say, it does actually HAVE one. It is a somewhat disturbing as other reviewers have said, but I think it would actually be more disturbing if it weren't hardcore porn. The long sex scenes actually interrupt the effectively unsettling atmosphere the film manages to create at times.
According to the generally unreliable IMDb dates, this film was practically released on lead actress Jean Jenning's 18th birthday, so there is some question of whether she was "barely legal" or "barely illegal" when she made it. There is no question that she was involved in "adult" films though years ealier when she was definitely underage and sometimes with her male lead here, Fred Lincoln of "Last House on the Left" fame. (And I find it extremely hypocritical that Lincoln has bad-mouthed "Last House" so much over the years, considering that in that film he only PLAYED a FICTIONAL child molester). Anyway, Jennings looks about 25 here and she was definitely a lot older than I was in 1975, so I'm personally not going to worry about that. She is surprisingly good here as a teenage mental patient, as is Lincoln in a non-sex role as her bent doctor. This is not bad for a hardcore porn film.
The best thing I can say about this film then is that if you took away the hardcore sex, it would be a fairly decent "roughie". And if you took away ALL the sex, you might even be able to pass it off as a 50's nd 60's-sytle "J.D." (juvenile delinquent) film (albeit a very short one). I won't re-hash the plot, but suffice it to say, it does actually HAVE one. It is a somewhat disturbing as other reviewers have said, but I think it would actually be more disturbing if it weren't hardcore porn. The long sex scenes actually interrupt the effectively unsettling atmosphere the film manages to create at times.
According to the generally unreliable IMDb dates, this film was practically released on lead actress Jean Jenning's 18th birthday, so there is some question of whether she was "barely legal" or "barely illegal" when she made it. There is no question that she was involved in "adult" films though years ealier when she was definitely underage and sometimes with her male lead here, Fred Lincoln of "Last House on the Left" fame. (And I find it extremely hypocritical that Lincoln has bad-mouthed "Last House" so much over the years, considering that in that film he only PLAYED a FICTIONAL child molester). Anyway, Jennings looks about 25 here and she was definitely a lot older than I was in 1975, so I'm personally not going to worry about that. She is surprisingly good here as a teenage mental patient, as is Lincoln in a non-sex role as her bent doctor. This is not bad for a hardcore porn film.
Grim & Gritty Porno Chic Classic Holds Up
russbgrant27 July 2020
They really don't make them like they used to. This adult feature is the story of Cathy, a young good girl student who gets caught experimenting with drugs so her panicked parents have her committed to an institution. This one plays like a horror thriller at first. The sex is graphic and upsetting to watch frankly, but as Cathy gets swept up and cared for by doctor/Guru Fred Lincoln, her experience becomes more erotic. It's a pretty neat trick to challenge an audience's expectations like that in an adult feature. Weston does a great job keeping this one moving along, and the sex starts to slowly shift as Cathy gets more experience. It makes for a rewarding, challenging feature from the porno chic era.
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