Immoral Tales (1973)

An erotic collection of short stories, an anthology comprised of tantalizing tales about sexual desire and its diverse manifestations.

Director:

Walerian Borowczyk

Writers:

Walerian Borowczyk, André Pieyre de Mandiargues (story)

Stars:

Lise Danvers, Fabrice Luchini, Charlotte Alexandra

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lise Danvers	...	Julie / André's cousin - Story 1
Fabrice Luchini	...	André / Julie's cousin - Story 1
Charlotte Alexandra	...	Thérèse - Story 2
Lisbeth Hummel	...	Lucy Broadhurst - Story 3
Paloma Picasso	...	Elisabeth Bathory / Countess - Story 4
Pascale Christophe	...	Istvan - Story 4
Florence Bellamy	...	Lucrezia Borgia / Pope's daughter - Story 5
Lorenzo Berinizi	...	Caesar Borgia / Pope's son - Story 5
Jacopo Berinizi	...	Pope Alexander VI - Story 5
Philippe Desboeuf	...	Hyeronimus Savonarola / Friar
Tomas Hnevsa	...	(as Thomas Hnevsa)
Mathieu Rivolier
Robert Capia
Gerard Tcherka
Kjell Gustavsson

Storyline

Four erotic tales from in various historical eras. The first, 'The Tide', is set in the present day, and concerns a student and his young female cousin stranded on the beach by the tide, secluded from prying eyes. 'Therese Philosophe' is set in the nineteenth century, and concerns a girl being locked in her bedroom, where she contemplates the erotic potential of the objects contained within it. 'Erzsebet Bathory' is a portrait of the sixteenth-century countess who allegedly bathed in the blood of virgins, while 'Lucrezia Borgia' concerns an incestuous fifteenth-century orgy involving Lucrezia, her brother, and her father the Pope.

---

Plot Keywords:

brother sister incest | fellatio | female pubic hair | female underarm hair | masturbation | 

---

Taglines:

Four Erotic Tales That Take Us Back Through The Centuries

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French Italian Hungarian

Release Date:

28 August 1974 (France)

Also Known As:

Immoral Tales

Company Credits

Production Co:

Argos Films, Syn-Frank Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min 115 min (uncut) 125 min (original)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Originally, the role of cousin Julie in "The Tide" (first part of the movie) was offered to Isabelle Adjani but she has found the role too difficult for her to play. Finally, she declined and the role went to Lise Danvers.

---

Quotes

Julie: Since last summer, I have met five boys.
André: What do you mean you "met" them?
Julie: We'd meet.
André: Where?
Julie: At parties. We kissed.
André: And that's all?
Julie: Yes.
André: On the lips?
Julie: No, Mum was always nearby.
André: Untouched. Thanks to my aunt. But today, she is far away...

---

Connections

Edited into The Beast (1975)

---

Soundtracks

La Messe de Notre-Dame
Guillaume de Machaut
disque ARCHIV PRODUKTION

User Reviews

First class softcore from one of erotica's greatest masters

This extraordinary film has been sadly misunderstood by many for a simple reason: it is an erotic film that doesn't intend to turn you on. Rather, it is a display of sexual transgression throughout the ages told in reverse order. Each of the four chapters of Immoral Tales takes place further back in history, with the acts committed getting increasingly transgressive. The first is modern, containing semi-consensual sex between a cruel boy and his cousin. The second features religious-fixated masturbation and rape, the third lesbianism and murder, the fourth is an incestuous story of the Pope containing torture and murder, along with threesome sex. The final scene of the film is the baptism of the child of the Pope and his daughter: the androgynous baby is bathed in a radiant light as it stares into the camera, reminding us that the felonies of the fathers lead through the ages to bring about our sexual misdemeanors. Although Im. Tales is quite explicit (but still softcore, Borowczyk only did a little hardcore work) and may be arousing, but is hardly a skin flick. The compositions are too painterly (Borowczyk was a successful painter and animator before turning to film), the action too slow and morally ambiguous to get too worked up over without intellectual involvement. Borowczyk is my favorite European erotic filmmaker, and equal to Radley Metzger from a global standpoint. Contes Immoraux (Im. Tales) and Le Bete (the Beast) are his most accessible films, and a great starting point. My personal favorite is his version of Dr. Jekyll, which goes by several titles. Watch this film if you want to think about sex and your relation to the subject, not if you are just looking for a good item for foreplay.